Southwest Airlines faces discrimination lawsuit over Hispanic student flight program

A US District Judge has determined that Southwest Airlines must address a discrimination lawsuit concerning its free flight program for Hispanic students. The American Alliance for Equal Rights initiated the lawsuit in May, alleging that the ¡Lánzate! Travel Award Program discriminated based on race and breached federal civil rights laws.

In response to the lawsuit, Southwest Airlines expanded the program to include all races and offered a nominal damage payment of $0.01 to the American Alliance for Equal Rights, requesting them to withdraw their suit. However, this offer was declined by the alliance. Judge Sidney Fitzwater of the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas stated that Southwest's "unsuccessful tender of one cent to Alliance was plainly an unaccepted offer that could not moot Alliance’s nominal damages claims," emphasizing that an "unaccepted settlement offer is insufficient to render a case moot."

Edward Blum, President of the American Alliance for Equal Rights, praised the ruling as "a powerful tool to prevent case-mooting tactics from discriminators nationwide." The alliance's lawsuit argues that the program excluded students of other races who would benefit equally from it, contravening the Civil Rights Acts of 1866 and 1964.