A former flight attendant has taken legal action against a major airline, alleging years of gender discrimination and harassment that culminated in her termination. The case was filed by Alexa Wawrzenski on October 2020 in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County against United Airlines, Inc.
The lawsuit stems from an incident where Wawrzenski was dismissed for allegedly violating the airline's social media policy. According to court documents, United Airlines fired Wawrzenski after discovering her social media accounts featured images of her in uniform alongside more provocative photos. The airline claimed these posts linked to a subscription-based site offering exclusive content, which they argued created a conflict of interest and violated company policies. However, Wawrzenski contends that this was a pretext for gender discrimination and retaliation for her complaints about ongoing harassment.
Throughout her employment with United, starting in October 2015, Wawrzenski claims she faced derogatory comments about her body from supervisors and coworkers. She reported incidents where managers criticized her appearance in uniform due to her body shape, which she describes as having larger hips relative to her waist. In one instance, a manager allegedly told her that "her body looks inappropriate in the uniform," leading to an appearance infraction despite another manager confirming compliance with dress codes.
The situation escalated when an anonymous tip led United’s Ethics and Compliance office to investigate Wawrzenski’s Instagram account. This investigation concluded with her termination after she purportedly failed to remove all photos of herself in uniform from the platform by a specified deadline—a point she disputes as an inadvertent oversight rather than deliberate defiance.
Wawrzenski's lawsuit accuses United Airlines of gender discrimination under California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), asserting that male employees with similar social media activity were not subjected to the same scrutiny or disciplinary actions. Her complaint also includes allegations of hostile work environment harassment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
In response, United Airlines sought summary judgment, arguing legitimate non-discriminatory reasons for their actions. Initially granted by the trial court, this judgment was later reversed on appeal due to insufficient consideration of potential pretextual motives behind the airline's decision-making process.
Wawrzenski seeks reinstatement along with compensatory damages for lost wages and emotional distress. Her legal team argues that United’s failure to address internal complaints highlights systemic issues within the company’s handling of discrimination cases.
Representing Wawrzenski are attorneys from Clarkson Law Firm and Shegerian & Associates, including Glenn A. Danas and Carney Shegerian. United Airlines is defended by Reed Smith LLP attorneys Michele Haydel Gehrke and Kasey J. Curtis. The case is presided over by Judge Richard L. Fruin under Case ID No. 20STCV43930.