Southwest Airlines barred from disciplining flight attendant over religious social media posts

A federal judge has issued a permanent injunction against Southwest Airlines, barring the company from using future social media posts by flight attendant Charlene Carter as grounds for discipline or termination. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr in the Northern District of Texas, concludes a nine-year legal battle regarding religious discrimination.

The dispute originated in 2017 when Southwest terminated Carter after she shared graphic images of aborted fetuses with coworkers via Facebook. The airline argued the posts violated social media policies and constituted workplace bullying. Carter sued, asserting her posts were protected expressions of sincerely held religious beliefs.

Following a 2022 Texas jury verdict that initially awarded Carter over $5 million, an appeals process reduced the payout to approximately $946,102, which she received in April. As part of the legal resolution, Carter was reinstated with full seniority. The injunction also prevents the Transport Workers Union Local 556 from urging the airline to discipline her for future religious social media posts and allows her to resign union membership without risking her employment.