The court watchdog filed a complaint against a federal judge who ordered “religious liberty training” for three Southwest Airlines lawyers as part of punishment for not fully complying with his order in a case involving abortion remarks.
U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr’s choice to be trained by a Christian legal advocacy group is “weird and unprecedented,” leaders of the Restoration Court said.
Fix the Court, a small nonpartisan group known primarily for its oversight of the U.S. Supreme Court, filed a judicial misconduct petition with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on Tuesday.
Gabe Roth, the group’s executive director, specifically targeted the Dallas judge’s selection of the Alliance Defending Freedom to conduct a day of training for three Southwest Airlines lawyers. Cases Involving Stewardesses She said she was fired for speaking out against abortion. The conservative ADF represents clients who oppose abortion, same-sex marriage and transgender rights.
Ethics training would have been fine, Ross said, but a judge should not order any organization associated with a particular faith to do so.
“Starr’s order sets a dangerous precedent, and he should be sanctioned for this dire judgment,” he said.
The judge ordered the training after Southwest Airlines changed the language of the notices he ordered sent to employees to explain that the law prohibits religious discrimination.
Dallas-based Southwest has appealed the sanctions order and won the trial of the fired flight attendant.Jury awards her Southwest and her union $5.1 million, but Starr reduce rewards to about $800,000.
Former President Donald Trump nominated Starr to the bench in 2019.
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