SkyWest Airlines Defeats Fired Pilot’s Discrimination Lawsuit

SkyWest Airlines Inc. won dismissal of claims that it fired a pilot due to his age and to avoid paying for costs associated with his son’s disability and his wife’s hospitalization.

The airline stated that it fired Randy Chappell for being untruthful about an “occurrence” where a wheel of an airplane he was piloting left the tarmac before takeoff. Chappell alleged that the airline’s stated reason was pretextual.

Chappell’s claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act fail because he conceded at a company review board hearing that he didn’t feel he was being ...