Judge requires Southwest lawyers to undergo ‘training on religious freedom’ in scathing sanctions order that references the Bible and ‘Lord of the Rings’

U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr speaks at a 2017 Federalist Society conference (YouTube screengrab via Federalist Society). Inset: image of a Southwest Airlines aircraft (via Southwest Airlines).

A federal judge in Texas has ordered lawyers for Southwest Airlines to undergo “training on religious freedom” with a legal advocacy organization known for filing lawsuits in support of conservative causes.

The ruling, from U.S. District Judge Brantley David Starr — a 2019 Donald Trump appointee — came in the case of Charlene Carter, a former flight attendant for Southwest who sued the airline after it fired her for allegedly violating their policies about bullying and social media.

“Southwest’s speech and actions toward employees demonstrate a chronic failure to understand the role of federal protections for religious freedom,” Starr wrote in his scathing sanctions order.

His punishment: sending three Southwest lawyers to so-called “training on religious freedom” with the Alliance Defending Freedom, a far-right advocacy organization known for filing lawsuits aimed at rolling back the rights of gay, lesbian, and transgender people.

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