Southwest Airlines has been in the public eye lately for questionable incidents. Some of these incidents have been concerning safety, so the increase in headlining situations may make some fliers wary. Although physical safety is a top concern for travelers, many factors go into it. Feeling safe and respected as a Black traveler is something that goes beyond getting to a destination on time. Unfortunately, even airline workers deal with less-than-ideal racial circumstances, with one recent case resulting in legal action. A Southwest Airlines employee is suing for racial discrimination and more. Here is what we know about the intriguing situation which has some people perplexed.

Why The Southwest Airlines Employee Is Suing

A Southwest employee is suing for racial discrimination.
pictured: legal gavel — Wesley Tingey/Unsplash

The lawsuit against the major carrier was filed in San Mateo County Superior Court on July 29 by an ex-employee, significantly later than when the incident happened. Joseph Pitts is the Southwest Airlines employee suing for racial discrimination and harassment, wrongful firing, and retaliation. He is seeking specified damages for his alleged troubles after being called a racial slur at work.

Joseph Pitts began working for Southwest in early 2022 as a ramp agent. He worked in this role at the San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport until he was promoted. Once he was promoted to supervisor of ramp agents he was also transferred. Pitts began training at San Francisco International Airport in August 2023. This is when the troubling work environment allegedly began, according to his lawsuit.

What Happened

During training for the new role, a Black ramp agent directed the n-word at him. Even after a fellow supervisor scolded the ramp agent and Pitts expressed his displeasure with the slur, the man continued to say the word to Pitts. In the time before being terminated from his job, Pitts made complaints about workers of different races using the slur in the workplace. But this only made the work environment more tense.

This is when ramp agents began pushing back on Pitts’ complaint. One worker told a supervisor that grievances would be filed against Pitts to “get him out”, the lawsuit said. Around the middle of November, Pitts and another supervisor were talking in the supervisor’s office and another uncomfortable situation unfolded. The supervisor’s door was open and close to the break room. According to the lawsuit, a ramp agent entered the break room and proceeded to complain about not being able to “say the b-word and the n-word anymore”. Upon entering the break room after the incident, Pitts was met with glares.

How the Situation Escalated

In December, there was an increased tension between Pitts and other workers. One man even told a manager that he gathered 50 ramp agent signatures that pledged to file grievances against Pitts. After that, the manager placed a sign in the break room urging workers not to use slurs. Unfortunately for Pitts, the very next day he was informed that Southwest had completed its investigation of his complaints of a hostile work environment and retaliation by workers against him. He was then fired for failing to assist in the investigation.

The Aftermath

He has since filed a lawsuit, but the situation’s details may surprise some since the conclusion of the situation was so sudden to Pitts. Since then, he has been unable to find employment. As the primary breadwinner of his family, with a wife and two children, Pitts has had to depend on retirement funds. But he is not alone in his fight for his rights. Matern Law Group, which represents Pitts, also represents three other Black ramp agents with similar racism claims. As Pitts expressed to the Sacramento Bee, “Why would you do this to somebody who was trying to make changes, who was trying to tell you that these people are violating company policy? Why would you do this to me?” Some clarity is needed regarding the situation, but it seems like some foul play is at hand.

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