A Catholic flight attendant who lost his job after expressing views aligned with his faith is now taking legal action against United Airlines. Ruben Sanchez, who worked for the airline for nearly 28 years, claims he was wrongfully dismissed for stating in a private conversation that “men don’t give birth.”
The controversy began in May 2023 when Sanchez was discussing Catholic teachings on human sexuality with a colleague. He later explained that his remarks were in response to Pride Month, which he said Catholics should not affirm or celebrate. A nearby customer reportedly overheard the conversation and lodged a complaint on social media, accusing him of making “transphobic, homophobic, and racist” remarks.
Following this, United Airlines launched an investigation into Sanchez, with his supervisor combing through his personal social media activity. The supervisor flagged at least 35 posts and memes Sanchez had shared, claiming they demonstrated a lack of “dignity, respect, professionalism, and responsibility.” However, these posts were on his private account, which was unaffiliated with the airline.
Sanchez maintains that his termination was based solely on his supervisor’s interpretation of his personal beliefs rather than any workplace misconduct. “Bottom line is, I was terminated based on a supervisor’s opinion of what type of person I was based on reading some random tweets,” he stated. He emphasized that the situation stemmed from a single complaint about his religiously grounded views on gender and marriage.
X has publicly declared its support for Ruben Sanchez in his lawsuit against United Airlines, framing his termination as an infringement on free speech. In a statement posted on its Global Government Affairs account, X criticized United for conducting what it described as an “intrusive review” of Sanchez’s social media activity, which was unrelated to his work. The company asserted that Sanchez’s firing was based on his personal beliefs rather than any professional misconduct, emphasizing its commitment to defending free expression worldwide.
Initially, the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) agreed to represent Sanchez, but the union dropped his case at the national level. Determined to fight back.
Despite the ordeal, Sanchez insists that his lawsuit is not about retaliation but about restoring his job. “I’m not interested in vengeance, retaliation, or causing economic harm to either United Airlines or AFA,” he wrote.
Currently, Sanchez is serving as an active-duty member of the Air National Guard in Alaska while pursuing his legal challenge against United Airlines.
