Frontier Airlines Faces Lawsuits From Pilots & Flight Attendants
Editor's note: An article was posted on CBSColorado.com on Oct. 1, 2023 indicating there was a resolution to this lawsuit. The news came from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which soon afterwards stated that their news release announcing the result was sent out in error.
Pilots and flight attendants from Frontier Airlines re suing their employer for discrimination. The plaintiffs say they were discriminated against for having children.
Two lawsuits filed by eight women say the company did not accommodate them during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
"Frontier has penalized flight attendants for absences during their pregnancies, and forces both pilots and flight attendants onto unpaid leave at the end of their pregnancies with no alternatives," a news release from ACLU Colorado states.
The plaintiffs say the airline forbade them to pump while on duty.
In 2017, CBS4's Rick Sallinger spoke with one woman who made a similar complaint against the airline.
Now, the ACLU filed lawsuits on the women's behalf.
In a video produced by the ACLU, a pilot, Brandy Beck, explain why they are suing.
"I asked, you know, can I pump in the lavatory when my flights were too long to wait to pump after I landed. The only answer I received was, 'We cannot designate the lavatory as a pumping area.' Just trying to find a place to let down to pump so I wasn't in pain and I wasn't distracted was a tough experience," Beck said.
Frontier Airlines denies the allegations.
Frontier Airlines has strong policies in place in support of pregnant and lactating mothers and remains committed to treating all of its team members equally and fairly. Frontier offers a number of accommodations for pregnant and lactating pilots and flight attendants within the bounds of protecting public safety, which is always our top priority. Frontier denies the allegations and will defend vigorously against these lawsuits.
LINKS: Pilots Lawsuit | Flight Attendants Lawsuit