Newark, NJ – A former flight attendant’s lawsuit accusing United Airlines of disability discrimination, retaliation, and family leave violations will move forward after a federal judge denied the airline’s bid to throw out the case.
Plaintiff Samantha Naranjo, who worked for United from the late 1990s until her termination in June 2022, claims the airline unlawfully fired her after years of managing Crohn’s disease, a chronic illness that required intermittent medical leave. In her complaint, Naranjo alleges United violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, and the Family and Medical Leave Act by penalizing her for absences linked to her condition.
According to court filings, Naranjo had been on COVID-19 furlough from 2020 to 2021 but returned to work under United’s attendance point system, which tracks absences and lateness. Employees who reach 30 points face dismissal under company policy and the union’s collective bargaining agreement. Naranjo accumulated points for Crohn’s flare-ups, despite claiming she repeatedly sought accommodations. United contends she was terminated solely for “excessive unexcused absences” and argued her claims were barred because she received all FMLA leave she was eligible for.
U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden rejected United’s motion for summary judgment, finding that factual disputes remain over whether Naranjo’s disability-related absences were improperly treated as disciplinary violations. The court also declined to dismiss the case on jurisdictional grounds tied to the Railway Labor Act, allowing her discrimination and retaliation claims to proceed toward trial.