A federal jury found that Southwest Airlines and its flight attendants’ union unlawfully discriminated against and retaliated against former flight attendant Charlene Carter over her Christian, anti-abortion beliefs. The case matters because it held both an employer and a union accountable after the union complained about a member’s conduct and the airline dismissed her, raising questions about religious protection at work and unions’ duties to represent members fairly.

Carter was dismissed after sending critical Facebook messages to the union president about her attendance at the 2017 Women’s March, which supported abortion rights. The jury awarded $5.1 million, including punitive damages, although such awards can later be reduced under legal limits; Southwest and the Transport Workers Union argued that her dismissal resulted from hostile conduct rather than religious discrimination.