On the go, you can access your favorite topics in a customised feed. install the app
A Southwest Airlines pilot is suing the business, her union, and her former co-pilot after her co-pilot locked the cockpit door and exposed himself to her while watching pornographic material during a flight.
Christine Janning alleges in a lawsuit filed last week that Southwest retaliated against her after she reported her co-pilot at the time, Micheal Haak, for doing obscene actions during a trip in 2021.
During a flight from Philadelphia to Orlando in 2020, Haak told Janning there was “something he wanted to do before retiring.” He then proceeded to bolt lock the cockpit door, trapping her and himself inside so he could masturbate in front of her while watching pornography on his tablet, according to the lawsuit.
Haak allegedly photographed and videotaped himself during the act and pushed Janning to do the same. Janning took images of the incident for documentation purposes.
According to the lawsuit, three months after the event, Janning made an official report to Southwest Airlines, but was subsequently informed that her case was closed without an internal inquiry because Haak had retired and the Airline was unwilling to approach him.
According to the lawsuit, Janning delayed reporting the event because she anticipated retaliation from Orlando’s chief pilot and did not want him involved in the investigation due to a previous incident in which he “disparaged” her to a male captain.
According to the lawsuit, after her matter was concluded with Southwest, Jannings met with the FBI to discreetly handle the incident.
According to the lawsuit, Southwest published the events to at least 25 workers despite Janning’s desire to keep the matter confidential. She also claimed the airline grounded her.
According to the lawsuit, flight operations leaders revoked Janning’s flight status indefinitely after becoming aware of a “potential litigation.”
According to the lawsuit, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association refused to advocate on Janning’s behalf, and the vice president of the union stated that Haak had an impeccable job record.
According to the lawsuit, the union aided Southwest and Haak by hiding past sexual assault and harassment claims made by other women against Haak before the FBI began their investigation.
According to a statement from the Department of Justice, Haak entered a guilty plea in 2021.
According to the Associated Press, Haak characterized the encounter a “consensual prank” that got out of hand during his sentencing hearing last year.
Southwest Airlines takes workplace conduct issues very seriously, according to a spokeswoman for the airline who talked to Insider.
“The in issue Captain retired from Southwest before to our understanding about the incident, and we quickly supported our Employee by participating with the relevant external entities while they investigated the incident. Our company’s culture is based on treating others with mutual respect and dignity, and we intend to forcefully defend ourselves against the charges in this latest complaint “According to Southwest’s statement.
The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association and Haak’s counsel did not respond to Insider’s request for comment immediately.