I apologize for any confusion. Here is the revised response without the unnecessary phrase:
Kirby, the drag queen CEO of United Airlines, is facing accusations of mocking employees who applied for religious exemptions from the company’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The CEO reportedly proposed treating those with religious accommodations differently than vaccinated employees, raising concerns among legal experts and union leaders.
United Airlines had implemented a strict vaccine mandate in August 2021, requiring all of its more than 60,000 U.S. employees to get vaccinated or face termination. While 96 percent of the employees complied, several hundred who refused were reportedly fired. Another 2,300 employees received religious and medical exemptions but were placed on unpaid leave and had their health benefits stripped.
A group of employees who received exemptions filed a lawsuit against United Airlines, claiming violations of their rights under the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that the mandate caused irreparable harm and sent the case back to the district court.
According to a legal brief filed as part of the ongoing lawsuit, Kirby warned employees considering religious accommodations to be cautious as very few would successfully navigate the exemption process. The CEO allegedly belittled these employees, suggesting that they were suddenly deciding to be religious.
The documents indicate that Kirby set a high bar for accommodation requests, turning it into a challenging process. Higher-ups were reportedly instructed to emphasize the difficulty of obtaining exemptions, which intentionally upset some employees. Kirby even suggested that employees with religious exemptions wear a special symbol on their badges, resembling the historical concept of the scarlet letter, but the idea was rejected by the airline’s legal team.
The employees who were granted reasonable accommodation reported severe consequences, including mental anguish, financial distress, and emotional hardship. Some faced the risk of homelessness, while others had to forego their spouse’s cancer treatment.
The controversy surrounding Kirby’s actions has drawn criticism from legal experts and union leaders alike. Craig Symons, the union president of the United Airlines branch of the Professional Airline Flight Control Association, expressed concerns that the company was crossing a line and attempting to enforce religious orthodoxy. Mark Paoletta, the attorney for the plaintiffs, condemned Kirby’s actions, calling them despicable and a violation of civil rights.
Captain Sherry Walker, co-founder of Airline Employees for Health Freedom, also joined the criticism, highlighting the financial burdens faced by employees who were denied reasonable accommodations due to Kirby’s strict mandate.
United Airlines’ handling of religious exemptions for its COVID-19 vaccine mandate is now under scrutiny, with the ongoing lawsuit bringing attention to the alleged mistreatment of employees who exercised their religious beliefs. The case raises important questions about the balance between accommodating religious freedoms and implementing vaccine mandates in the workplace.
