‘Whites-only’ accusation draws denial
Southwest Airlines says worker’s dismissal is justified
Southwest Airlines denies there was a whites-only break room at Hobby Airport and accusations that black employees were treated differently, according to court documents.
Airlines denied there was a whites-only break room at Hobby Airport and accusations that black employees were treated differently than white employees, according to court documents filed in federal district court in Houston.
Southwest, responding to a former employee’s lawsuit, said the firing of Jamel Parker was justified because he damaged property and didn’t report it, whereas the white employees named in Parker’s complaint either did not damage property or were intending to report the incident.
“Plaintiff’s (Parker’s) lawsuit is based upon demonstrably false alSouthwest legations that Southwest treats its black employees differently than its similarly situated white employees,” according to court documents filed earlier this month. “The complaint is wrought with inaccurate, irrelevant and exaggerated assertions in a transparent effort to support a meritless claim of race discrimination against Southwest.”
Parker’s attorney declined to comment for this story.
Southwest fired Parker in April 2017. He was driving a pushback, a vehicle used to move aircraft away from gates, when the pushback’s tow bar snagged on a power cable under the jet bridge. Parker previously told the Chronicle that he did not believe he caused damage, so he didn't report it.
His court complaint highlighted similar scenarios — and the outcomes — of white workers. One hit a belt loader with a baggage cart and only admitted to it after camera footage was reviewed. He was given a letter of instruction, the lowest level of discipline an employee can receive.
Another white employee was driving a tug when he hit another tug. The employee in the other tug reported the incident, but the atfault employee did not report the accident until confronted about it, according to Parker’s complaint.
The employee was given a final warning letter.
Southwest said the second employee did damage equipment, but he was on the way to report it when called into the supervisor’s office. He chose to deliver two late bags before reporting the incident. Parker, the airline alleges, had no intention of reporting his accident. Southwest said it only discovered Parker’s accident when reviewing video after discovering a jet bridge would not work.
Southwest said its termination provision related to damaged equipment “is applied evenhandedly to all of its employees, regardless of race. The instances regarding the white employees ... involved different policies and circumstances and are not analogous to Plaintiff’s (Parker’s) scenario.”
A neutral arbitrator found insufficient evidence to conclude that Parker received disparate treatment. And it found that Southwest had just cause to fire Parker, according to Southwest’s answer filed in court.
As for the noose found at the airport and mentioned in Parker’s lawsuit, Southwest said it was irrelevant to Parker’s allegations because it was found eight months after he was fired.
The airline immediately removed the noose made of bungee cords upon learning about it and notified the Houston Airport System security team and the Houston Police Department. The airline investigated the matter, including reviewing security camera footage, but could not identify the individuals involved.
Southwest also said there is no evidence that white employees made their own segregated break room. Parker had told the Chronicle that there wasn’t anything as literal as a sign on the door, but black employees — including his supervisor — knew of its existence.
His complaint alleged that the reason the room no longer exists is because a renovation turned it into a supervisory office in 2016 or 2017.