A legal case against Delta Air Lines, brought by a former flight attendant, has been resolved through a settlement. The employee had alleged he was terminated in retaliation for his support of unionization efforts and for reporting an incident of inappropriate physical contact during a company training event.
The former attendant, Aryasp Nejat, stated he was first suspended without pay and then dismissed after making social media posts advocating for union representation and criticizing workplace harassment. He further claimed that while the airline initially said it would look into his harassment complaint, no subsequent investigation or update was provided.
The lawsuit, which was initiated last year, described an incident during a uniform inspection at a graduation ceremony. It alleged that another flight attendant, Matthew Miller, conducted what was characterized as non-consensual and invasive physical contact. The terms of the settlement were not made public, and attempts to reach Miller for comment were unsuccessful.
In a statement, Nejat expressed that the resolution allows for a measure of accountability and personal closure. He emphasized his hope that the situation underscores the value of union representation for airline staff, particularly in safeguarding their right to organize and to report misconduct without fear of reprisal. Nejat, who now works for a different carrier, plans to use the settlement funds to finance his legal education.
This case emerges amid a significant organizing drive targeting Delta’s approximately 29,000 flight attendants. A coalition of major labor unions is spearheading what is currently the largest single-unit unionization campaign in the United States. Delta remains one of the few major U.S. airlines where the majority of flight attendants are not unionized, though the company does have unions representing its pilots and dispatchers.
Union leaders have pointed to this situation as a contemporary example of long-standing issues that originally fueled the formation of flight attendant unions decades ago, namely combating harassment and establishing clear procedures for addressing grievances and protecting workers from retaliation.
A spokesperson for Delta Air Lines stated that the company continues to believe the claims lacked merit and that the settlement was reached to avoid the costs and distraction of prolonged litigation. The airline reiterated its commitment to treating all employees in accordance with its internal policies and legal standards.