The U. S.
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed a lower court's dismissal on July 1, 2026, allowing two former Alaska Airlines flight attendants to sue the carrier for religious discrimination.
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Plaintiffs Marli Brown and Lacey Smith filed the lawsuit after being terminated for posting comments opposing the Equality Act on an internal employee network.
The airline argued the firings were due to violations of its anti-discrimination and harassment policies, but the appellate court found a genuine dispute of material fact regarding whether the carrier was motivated by the workers' Christian beliefs.
The legal battle began after the airline publicly supported the proposed federal civil rights legislation.
In response, Smith questioned the company's stance on the intranet platform, while Brown claimed the bill would infringe on religious freedom and women's rights.
First Liberty Institute, a right-wing legal organization representing the women, praised the appellate court's decision to revive the case.
"You cannot be fired because your employer does not like your religious beliefs," said Stephanie Taub, Senior Counsel for First Liberty Institute.
Alaska Airlines deleted the posts and subsequently terminated the flight attendants following an internal investigation.
In 2022, U. S.
District Judge Barbara Rothstein originally dismissed the case, ruling the intranet posts were not religious in nature.
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Writing for the appellate majority, Circuit Judge Daniel Bress rejected the lower court's reasoning regarding the nature of the employee's statements.
