Southwest Religious Training Order Halted as Airline Appeals (1)

A federal judge in Texas halted for 30 days his order requiring three in-house lawyers for Southwest Airlines Co. to attend religious freedom classes for noncompliance with a pro-life employee’s award in a job bias lawsuit.

Judge Brantley Starr granted the airline’s request Thursday to stay enforcement of its sanctions order requiring the training by the Alliance Defending Freedom, one day after the airline appealed to US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Starr gave the parties until Aug. 24 and Aug. 28 to file further briefs.

On appeal, Southwest says it is likely to win reversal of Starr’s ...