Cockpit Insanity

In an instance fraught with inconsistencies and weirdness, Southwest Airlines pilot Christine Janning is suing her employer, her pilots union, and Captain Michael Haak, a former colleague Janning alleges disrobed in front of her and committed a lewd act while the pair were crewing a 2020 flight from Philadelphia to Orlando.

Janning contends that after reporting the incident, Southwest Airlines retaliatorily grounded her, willfully retained Haak in its employ despite his alleged history of sexual misconduct, and disparaged her flying ability in company memoranda. She further alleges that the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association—the union by which SWA pilots are represented—conspired with the airline, and refused to support her.

Janning is suing Haak for sexual assault.

Haak's attorney, Michael Salnick, asserts that his client disrobed only after Janning encouraged him to do so, that the alleged lewd act never occurred, and that Janning’s claims of Haak’s “history of sexual misconduct” are spurious.

Southwest Airlines argues it supported Janning, but states unequivocally that it will  “vigorously defend” itself against the lawsuit.

The Southwest pilot union has yet to comment on the matter.

According to the lawsuit filed in Orange County, Florida, Janning had never met Haak prior to August 2020, when she served as his Second In Command (SIC) on a flight from Philadelphia to Orlando. Janning alleges Haak, a 27-year Southwest Airlines veteran, leveraged his seniority to bump another pilot who’d been scheduled to command the flight. Janning ascribes Haak’s actions to an underlying desire to be paired with a female SIC.

Upon reaching cruising altitude—the complaint continues—Haak allegedly told Janning the flight was his last, and that there was something he wanted to do before retiring.

Janning claims Haak then bolted the cockpit door, engaged the aircraft’s autopilot, removed his clothing, commenced viewing pornography on his laptop computer, and committed a lewd act for no less than thirty-minutes while taking photos and videos of himself—which, if true, is as much an indictment of Haak’s character and judgement as it is an approbation of his airmanship and athleticism.

In defense of his client, Salnick puts forth that it was Janning who asked Haak if there was anything he wanted to do before retiring, and encouraged him to disrobe after he’d confided a secret desire to do so. Salnick further stated that Janning subsequently made sexual advances, which Haak—who adamantly denies committing the lewd act of which he’s accused—politely rejected.

Janning's attorney, Frank Podesta, denied his client had encouraged Haak, or made sexual advances toward him.

In the lawsuit, Janning claims to have been “horrified,” but states she kept flying the plane while taking photos “to create a record.” Whether or not Janning is in possession of such photographs—which remain nebulous despite their considerable probative value—has yet to be determined.

For reasons passing understanding, three months passed before Janning reported the alleged incident to a Southwest Airlines employee relations investigator. The delay, according to Janning, was attributable to her boss having previously disparaged her to a male colleague. Notwithstanding Janning’s request that her report be concealed  from the aforementioned boss, the investigator was bound by protocol to divulge such.

Janning states she was informed thereafter that the airline’s investigation of her accusations had been closed on account of Haak having retired. Undeterred, she took her complaint to the FBI, which summarily charged Haak. Janning alleged to FBI investigators that Southwest had sent Haak to a Montreal sexual harassment counseling center after a 2008 incident involving a flight attendant.

Salnick refutes Janning’s allegation, stating Haak was never sent to a counseling center. “This person will do and say whatever is necessary to obtain a financial windfall. I feel sorry for her,” Salnick remarked.

Janning claims Southwest—in retaliation for her having involved the FBI in what the airline construes internal business—grounded her for a period of time measurable in months and cut her salary accordingly. She also alleges a Southwest manager wrote a memo disparaging her airmanship and circulated it to 25 of the airline’s employees.  

Southwest denies Janning's allegations, setting forth in a public statement: “We immediately supported [Janning] by cooperating with the appropriate outside agencies as they investigated. Our corporate culture is built upon treating others with mutual respect and dignity, and the events alleged in this situation are inconsistent with the behavior that we require of our employees.”

Janning was egalitarian in her accusations, stating the leadership of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association not only failed to help her, but in fact wrote a letter espousing the spotlessness of Haak’s employee and civil records.

A court date has yet to be set.

FMI: www.southwest.com