Southwest Airlines takes off by ending its DEI policies

In recent months, major companies such as Boeing, Walmart and Harley-Davidson have stepped forward and opted to ditch their progressive agenda. The latest to join that list is Southwest Airlines, which reported that it will do away with the diversity, equity and equality (DEI) policies set in its structure.

This decision comes after one of the country's largest airlines was sued by the group America First Legal (AFL), which alleged that Southwest Airlines enacted "unlawful discriminatory practices" when hiring new employees.

Following an investigation called for about a year ago by AFL against the airline for "alleged failure to comply with the company's contractual obligations under federal contracting law" - which, in addition, has received more than $330 million in federal contracts, the legal group said in a communication-, Southwest Airlines has made the decision to abandon DEI policies.

"On your next flight, would you rather be told that your pilot checks the right DEI boxes or that they were hired because they were the best of all competing candidates? Americans have had enough of corporations’ overt discrimination under the guise of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion," said Will Scolinos, legal counsel for AFL.

"It is unacceptable that corporations are so openly using everyday Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars to meet their unlawful race and sex quotas to achieve some ‘correct’ amount of diversity and representation. Discrimination on the basis of immutable characteristics is always wrong," Scolinos added.

Shortly before Southwest Airlines, another aviation-related company also announced it was ending its progressive agenda. Boeing reported that it was ending its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office. A decision that is part of the downsizing the aircraft manufacturer is currently executing.