A federal appeals court revived a lawsuit brought by two former Alaska Airlines flight attendants who say they were fired after expressing religious objections to the airline's support for the Equality Act, allowing their religious discrimination claims to proceed.The Ninth Circuit ruled Wednesday there is sufficient evidence for a jury to determine whether Lacey Smith and Marli Brown were fired because of their religious beliefs, reviving the lawsuit they filed against the airline."We are grateful the court recognized the clear evidence of religious discrimination against Marli and Lacey by both Alaska Airlines and the flight attendants’ union," Stephanie Taub, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, who argued before the Court back in August 2025, said in a statement.JUDGE AWARDED $640K AFTER REFUSING TO OFFICIATE SAME-SEX WEDDINGSHeadshot of Lacey Smith.(First Liberty Institute)"The Ninth Circuit’s decision today reinforces that federal civil rights laws protect people of faith from discrimination by their employer or their union," Taub added.
"You cannot be fired because your employer does not like your religious beliefs."In early 2021, Alaska Airlines said it would support the proposed Equality Act on an online internal employee network.The Equality Act, which was introduced by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., sought to add sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes in employment, housing, and other capacities under federal civil rights law.It passed the House in February 2021.MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL FACES BACKLASH FOR ITS STANCE ON CHRISTIANS WRITING BIBLE VERSES ON PRIDE CAPSAn Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 airplane arrives at Los Angeles International Airport on March 7, 2026, in Los Angeles, California.
(Kevin Carter/Getty Images)The airline asked employees to comment in an online forum for employees, and Smith asked a question, writing, "As a company, do you think it’s possible to regulate morality?"In the same forum,...