Southwest Captain stripped and watched porn in cockpit. Pilot union wants to punish female co-pilot who reported him
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Southwest pilot stripped and watched porn in the cockpit with a female First Officer present. Photograph: (Unsplash)
A Southwest pilot stripped and watched porn in the cockpit on one of his last flights in 2020. The female co-pilot who complained about him claims the airline retaliated against her instead. The pilot union now wants her to pay their legal fees.
A co-pilot on a Southwest Airlines flight filed a complaint against the Captain for stripping in the cockpit, watching porn and reportedly masturbating six years ago. A complaint and lawsuit followed, and now the airline and its pilot union want her to pay the union’s legal fees, View From The Wing reported. First Officer Christine Janning says the airline retaliated against her soon after she filed the complaint.
The incident occurred in 2020, when Michael Haak and First Officer Christine Janning flew Southwest flight 6607 from Philadelphia to Orlando. According to a lawsuit, Haak told her he wanted to do something before retiring. He then locked the cockpit door, removed his clothes and started watching porn on a laptop. Janning continued to fly the plane and photographed him for evidence.
Haak allegedly threatened to crash the plane
In a 2022 lawsuit, Janning alleged he continued with it for 30 minutes and photographed and recorded himself. He even encouraged her to join him. When she didn't comply, he allegedly blocked her exit and threatened to crash the aircraft if she resisted. In later filings, Haak's lawyers claimed that it was a "consensual prank" and that she encouraged him to fly naked and that he did not masturbate.
Janning was grounded for an FBI investigation
She reported it to Southwest Airlines Employee Relations, but the airline told her six days later that they would not conduct an internal investigation since he had retired. In December, she met with the FBI, and a week later, Southwest removed her from flying while she was in Denver. The chief pilot informed her in a letter that this was done under Section 2.C of the pilot contract so she could participate in an ongoing FBI investigation. She became suspicious since, under the section, crew is removed for a possible offence, questionable occurrence or being unfit for duty.
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The letter went to more than 25 Southwest and SWAPA employees. Janning remained grounded for 105 days and lost out on flight currency and training. When she returned in March 2021, managers and pilots started telling everyone that she was "mentally unstable, a dangerous pilot, promiscuous" and even involved with Haak.
Pilot union supported Haak
At a sentencing, SWAPA vice president Mike Santoro told the federal judge that Haak had a “spotless employment and training record”, despite being aware that four crew members had previously reported Haak to SWAPA Professional Standards in 2008 for sexual harassment, sexual assault and exposing himself. She claimed in the lawsuit that these reports were not disclosed during the federal investigation. Haak pleaded guilty to committing a lewd, indecent or obscene act and received one year of probation and a $5,000 fine.
Janning claims she was collectively punished
She claims the airline told the employees not to speak with the FBI, and instead the management and union officials agreed to punish her. Janning filed a civil lawsuit in Orange County Circuit Court against Southwest Airlines, Michael Haak, SWAPA, and former managers for negligent supervision/retention, sexual battery, false imprisonment, defamation, and retaliatory civil conspiracy.
SWAPA filed a motion in August 20206 asking the court to sanction Janning and her attorneys, demanding they pay the union's legal fees. SWAPA tried to keep the filing confidential, but the Orange County court clerk rejected the seal request.
Southwest reacts
Meanwhile, Southwest says it didn't know about the cockpit incident until after Haak retired. It dismissed claims that it did not cooperate in the investigation, adding that there was no merit to the allegations that the airline was harbouring a known predator, defamed Janning, or conspired with the union.
