Lawsuit Against Southwest Airlines

By Daniel Wiessner

A U.S. judge ruled that Southwest Airlines must face a lawsuit from Edward Blum, an advocate against affirmative action. The suit claims that the airline's now-defunct "¡Lánzate!" program, which provided free flights to Hispanic college students, was racially discriminatory.

U.S. District Judge Sidney Fitzwater in Dallas stated that the airline's decision to end the 20-year-old program and its offer to settle for one cent did not eliminate the claims that it discriminated against two students, one white and one Asian.

Since 2004, the "¡Lánzate!" program had supported 1,500 Hispanic undergraduate and graduate students living at least 200 miles from their schools. Southwest Airlines, based in Dallas, ceased the program after the lawsuit was initiated in May.

The airline argued that its offer for relief rendered the lawsuit moot, but Fitzwater disagreed. His ruling allows Blum's group to pursue allegations that Southwest violated a Civil War-era law against racial bias in contracting. This ruling may have wider implications for diversity and inclusion programs facing legal scrutiny.

Blum stated that the ruling serves as a powerful tool to combat case-mooting tactics utilized by discriminators nationwide. This lawsuit is part of a broader series of legal actions by Blum, challenging corporate diversity initiatives after his previous success at the U.S. Supreme Court regarding college admissions.