Newark, NJ – A federal judge has ruled that a former United Airlines flight attendant’s discrimination lawsuit will proceed in part, finding that some of her claims of workplace bias and retaliation are sufficient to move forward while others must be dismissed.
Plaintiff Michelle Schenck, who worked for the airline from 1998 until her termination in January 2020, accuses United of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Her lawsuit centers on two sets of allegations: that she was systematically excluded from lucrative sports charter flights in favor of younger attendants, and that she was wrongfully terminated following an incident on an international trip in late 2019.
According to court filings, Schenck claims that from 2015 to 2019 she was repeatedly passed over for sports charter trips despite her seniority, while younger, less experienced attendants were assigned. She alleges that after raising concerns with management, she was “red-flagged” and later lost access to the airline’s scheduling app.
The complaint also details a December 2019 flight from Newark to London, where Schenck says she was ostracized by fellow crew members and later accused of making racially insensitive remarks. She maintains that her comments were mischaracterized and that other flight attendants harassed her by chanting “Black Lives Matter” and calling her derogatory names during the trip. Schenck alleges that six crew members colluded to exaggerate complaints against her, ultimately leading to her dismissal.
In an opinion issued by U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, the court granted United’s motion to dismiss in part, but denied it in part, leaving portions of Schenck’s age and discrimination claims intact. The ruling clears the way for litigation to continue on certain allegations while narrowing the scope of the case.
United now faces another round in court over its handling of long-serving flight attendants.
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