ATLANTA- A transgender flight attendant at Delta Air Lines (DL) has filed a lawsuit alleging severe discrimination and harassment during her tenure on the airline’s NFL charter flight team. The suit claims that bullying by coworkers forced her to resign from what was once considered a “dream job.”
The complaint was filed last week in the Northern District of Georgia and details emotional distress, professional setbacks, and alleged anti-trans bias while operating charter flights from Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).
Representative Photo: Delta Air LinesDelta Sued by Flight Attendant
The lawsuit centers around a long-serving flight attendant who joined Delta after its 2008 acquisition of Northwest Airlines.
In 2013, she completed her gender transition and presented fully as a woman by the time she joined Delta’s prestigious sports charter program in 2020. She was selected to fly with a National Football League (NFL) team, initially as a reserve or “alternate” crew member.
Despite the selection being a significant career advancement, the lawsuit claims the work environment quickly turned toxic. The plaintiff alleges that the lead flight attendant and another senior crew member held anti-transgender views and repeatedly outed her identity, PYOK reported.
On an early flight assignment, she was allegedly mocked for her physical features, including her knuckles and calves, which the lead attendant cited as evidence of her transgender status.
According to the filing, the lead flight attendant expressed hostility toward the plaintiff, reportedly stating, “I don’t want that s**t on here,” and allegedly conveyed to others that neither she nor the NFL team “wanted that skirt and heels.”
Despite these early tensions, the plaintiff was promoted in 2022 to a primary charter crew position.
However, the bullying reportedly continued. The plaintiff was excluded from special events and later demoted back to alternate status, allegedly due to behind-the-scenes influence from the lead flight attendant. Witnesses claimed to have overheard efforts to push for her removal from the team.
This demotion, along with persistent workplace hostility, caused significant emotional distress. The plaintiff was prescribed antidepressants and described feeling “crushed” by her experience.
Photo: Delta Air LinesRetaliation and Mishandled Complaint
In July 2023, the plaintiff formally challenged her demotion through Delta’s internal processes. However, the lawsuit claims the focus of the investigation shifted to discrediting her key witnesses.
One of them was terminated over unrelated racial misconduct allegations, and the original claims of anti-trans harassment were allegedly dismissed without a proper investigation.
The plaintiff ultimately resigned from the charter team, citing an inability to continue working alongside her alleged abuser. She relocated to Las Vegas and resumed work in Delta’s mainline flight operations, but not without significant personal and emotional cost.
Photo: Clément AlloingLawsuit Alleges Multiple Legal Violations
The 108-page legal filing outlines 12 separate causes of action, including:
- Sexual harassment
- Gender identity discrimination
- Invasion of privacy
- Retaliation and hostile work environment
The suit seeks redress for emotional damage and career harm. As of this writing, Delta Air Lines (DL) has not issued a formal response to the allegations.
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