The Buddhist pilot who refused to attend the AA meetings will be paid $305,000 by United Airlines.
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said in a press release that the airline discriminated against the pilot, who was diagnosed with alcohol dependency, on religious grounds after he refused to attend AA meetings.
A man who had been a pilot for 30 years lost his medical certificate after he was diagnosed with cancer. It is necessary to attend AA meetings in order to regain the certification in the occupational substance abuse treatment program.
According to the group's FAQ page, he objected due to the religious aspects of AA's 12-step program. The commission said that United rejected his idea of using a peer support group.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion and the airline was sued by the commission on the man's behalf.
United will pay back pay and damages and allow the pilot to attend a peer recovery program in order to resolve the lawsuit. Religious accommodations will be accepted in the future.
Jeffrey Burstein said that employers have an obligation to modify their policies to accommodate religious beliefs. If they require their employees to attend AA as part of a rehabilitation program, they must allow for alternatives for employees who have religious objections to AA.
In regards to the EEOC, safety is our top priority and we have the highest confidence in theHIMS program, considered the gold standard within our industry for the monitoring of substance abuse, according to a United spokesman.
Federal law prohibits employment discrimination.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
