A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit filed by two former Alaska Airlines flight attendants who claim they were terminated for expressing religious objections to the airline's support for the Equality Act. The Ninth Circuit ruled Wednesday that there is enough evidence for a jury to decide whether Lacey Smith and Marli Brown were dismissed because of their religious beliefs.
Stephanie Taub, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, which represented the flight attendants, stated in a press release that the Ninth Circuit's decision "reinforces that federal civil rights laws protect people of faith from discrimination by their employer or their union." She added, "You cannot be fired because your employer does not like your religious beliefs."
In early 2021, Alaska Airlines announced its support for the proposed Equality Act on an internal employee network. The Equality Act, introduced by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, aimed to add sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes under federal civil rights law. The bill passed the House in February 2021.
Following the airline's announcement, Smith questioned in the employee forum, "As a company, do you think it’s possible to regulate morality?" Brown also shared a comment expressing her religious beliefs that the Equality Act could negatively impact women, girls, and individuals of faith.
Alaska Airlines investigated Smith and Brown after their comments, ultimately firing them and labeling their statements as "discriminatory," "hateful," and "offensive."
Smith commented that the Ninth Circuit's ruling is "for a nation of people who have also been facing religious discrimination in the workplace." Brown expressed gratitude for the favorable ruling, hoping that "no one else will have to go through anything like what I’ve been through."