Two ex-United Airlines employees awarded $800,000 in age lawsuit

Two former United Airlines flight attendants who claimed age discrimination for being fired were awarded $800,000 in damages by a federal jury Monday in Denver, their lawyer said.

Jennie Stroup, a United employee for 30 years, and Rubin Lee, a 41-year veteran of the airline, were fired in 2013. They sued their former employer in June of 2015 in U.S. District Court in Denver.

Stroup, as a flight attendant, flew about 30,000 flight hours “without incident” and missed only one check-in during her long career, according to the lawsuit.

Lee, during his decadeslong United career, received multiple awards from the airline for his “stellar customer service, enthusiasm, loyalty and attention to safety issues.”

In 1974, Lee was part of a crew on a flight from New York City to Milwaukee that was diverted to Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., because of inoperable landing gear. The jet slid to an emergency landing and Lee helped to deploy emergency slides and safely evacuate passengers. He was recognized by United for his extraordinary response in the emergency.

United said the pair was fired for watching an iPad video, for about 15 minutes, and failing to wear aprons during a September 2013 flight. When they were notified of their pending termination, both were given the option to retire instead.

In the lawsuit, Stroup and Lee said their ages, not their work was the reason they were fired. A federal jury agreed, said David Lane, a Denver civil rights attorney who represents the pair.

A message left for United representatives was not returned.

United will owe additional damages to the plaintiffs, to be determined at a later court hearing, and the airline must also pay their former employees’ legal fees, Lane said.

The costs to United, not including the company’s own attorney fees, will probably exceed $1.5 million, Lane said.