United Airlines wins summary judgment in bellwether trial

Client(s) United Airlines Inc.

A Jones Day team won summary judgment after being engaged to serve as the trial team for United Airlines, Inc. ("United") in a bellwether trial asserting allegations by United pilots who objected to the Company's 2021 COVID-19 vaccine requirement. The employee in this bellwether case was ultimately exempted from the vaccination policy, but nonetheless alleged that United failed to accommodate his religious beliefs when it placed him on unpaid leave rather than allowing him to continue to work. In the summary judgment briefing, the team successfully argued that any alternative to vaccination (e.g., relying on antibodies from a prior COVID infection or masking and testing) would have been less safe, making leave the only feasible accommodation.

John Hassett v. United Airlines, Inc., No. 23-cv-14592 (N.D. Ill.)