Safety Culture in the News

Safety Culture in the News

Department of Labor Awards Delta Air Lines Whistleblower $500,000 in Compensatory Damages

Department of Labor Awards Delta Air Lines Whistleblower $500,000 in Compensatory Damages

On December 21, 2020, a Department of Labor (DOL) Administrative Law Judge awarded a whistleblower $500,000 in compensatory damages and found that Delta Air Lines (Delta) violated the whistleblower protection provision of the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR 21).

Karlene Petitt is currently employed as a First Officer for Delta. In March of 2011, Petitt “complained about Captain Thomas Albain’s simulator training.” Years later, in January of 2016, Petitt met with two Captains and provided Delta “with a 43-page written safety report entitled ‘Assessment of Delta Air Lines ‘Flight Operations’ Safety Culture,’” according to the decision. A different Captain presented Petitt with a March 17, 2016 letter that “advised her that she was removed from service…based on alleged concerns regarding [Petitt’s] mental health and whether she still met the standards required for a First Class Medical Certificate.”