Texas Judge in Boeing, ESG Cases Known for High-Profile Docket

The Texas federal judge who ruled against using environmental, social, and governance factors in American Airlines Group Inc. employee retirement accounts is no stranger to hot-button political issues, from Obamacare to gun control and transgender rights.

The Fort Worth courtroom of US District Judge Reed O’Connor, who is also overseeing a criminal case against Boeing Co. over 737 Max crashes, has for years drawn litigants championing conservative causes. As a result, the George W. Bush-appointee has weighed in on disputes on their way to the US Supreme Court.

Over the past decade, he’s tackled challenges to the Affordable Care Act, ...