- Wednesday, October 16, 2024
A court watchdog has recently lodged a complaint against U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr for his decision to require "religious-liberty training" as part of the punishment for three Southwest Airlines lawyers. The lawyers were found to have not fully complied with the judge's orders in a case involving speech about abortion.
The leader of Fix the Court, a nonpartisan group primarily focused on monitoring the U.S. Supreme Court, has criticized Judge Starr's choice of training conducted by a Christian legal-advocacy group, Alliance Defending Freedom. This decision is deemed by the group as "strange and unprecedented."
Fix the Court has filed a judicial-misconduct petition with the 5th Circuit Court of Appeal in New Orleans, expressing its concerns about the judge's selection of Alliance Defending Freedom. The organization has a history of representing clients who oppose abortion, same-sex marriages, and transgender rights.
Gabe Roth, the executive director of Fix the Court, acknowledged that ethics training would have been reasonable as a form of punishment, but criticized the judge for choosing an organization associated with a particular faith. Roth states that "Starr's order sets a dangerous precedent, and he deserves sanctions himself for this awful judgment call."
Judge Starr issued the training order after Southwest Airlines changed the language of a notice that was meant to inform employees about the legal prohibition against religious discrimination.
Southwest Airlines, headquartered in Dallas, has appealed both the sanctions order and the jury verdict in favor of the fired flight attendant. Although the jury initially awarded her $5.1 million from Southwest and her union, Judge Starr reduced the amount to approximately $800,000.
It is worth noting that Judge Starr was nominated to the federal bench by former President Donald Trump in 2019.
More Posts
All Rights Reserved © 2024
Post a comment