According to press release from First Liberty Institute, the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of Lacey Smith and Marli Brown after they were wrongfully terminated from their jobs as flight attendants because of their religious views. The case was appealed after the district court ruled for a summary judgement in favor of the airline they worked for.
Stephanie Taub is an attorney at First Liberty, the law firm representing the flight attendants.
"This is great news for Marli and Lacey, our clients who were exceptional flight attendants at Alaska Airlines," Taub says.
Alaska Airlines fired the two after they shared their concerns in 2021 over the company's support of the Equality Act. This was after employees were allowed to share their thoughts about the topic on a company only message board.
On the message board, Smith posted a question, asking, "As a company, do you think it's possible to regulate morality?"
In the same forum, Brown asked, "Does Alaska support: endangering the Church, encouraging suppression of religious freedom, obliterating women rights and parental rights?"
Brown's post continued to explain her religious concerns about the dangers to women's safe spaces posed by the Equality Act.
"They (Alaska Airlines) posted their support for the Equality Act and invited diverse perspectives, said they welcomed people to comment, and then when our clients posted from their religious perspective, they were immediately investigated, taken off their flights, and fired," said Taub. "So, we are grateful that the Ninth Circuit has found that there is evidence of religious discrimination here, and it is allowing the case to go to a jury."
Meanwhile, Taub added that "this case sets a precedent that could help employees of faith in workplaces" across the country.
"And not just government workplaces, because this is federal civil rights law that's being interpreted," says Taub. "It says that the employer cannot fire you because they don't like your religious beliefs, and here, there was plenty of evidence that that's exactly what Alaska Airlines did."
AFN reported previously on the story in 2021 when the women were initially fired before the act was even signed and in 2024 when First Liberty filed a motion for summary judgement after finding blatant hostility toward their clients.
