A group established by a well-known anti-affirmative action activist filed a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines on Monday. The suit targets a long-standing program that provides free round-trip flights to Hispanic undergraduate and graduate students, alleging racial discrimination.
Edward Blum’s American Alliance for Equal Rights filed the lawsuit in federal court in Dallas, claiming that the airline’s program violates federal civil rights laws by excluding students who are not Hispanic from receiving free tickets.
The group contends that because of this, two Asian and white students who are members of the nonprofit were unable to apply for the program. The lawsuit seeks to prevent Southwest from enforcing its current eligibility criteria.
“Southwest Airlines should immediately open this program to all students, regardless of their skin color or ethnic background,” Blum stated.
Southwest, headquartered in Dallas, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This lawsuit is the latest in a series of actions Blum has taken recently to challenge corporate diversity initiatives. Earlier, another group he founded convinced the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court to prohibit the consideration of race in college admissions.
The lawsuit filed on Monday focuses on Southwest’s ¡Lánzate! Travel Award Program, which began in 2004 and is run in collaboration with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.
To qualify for four round-trip tickets, a student must be an undergraduate or graduate, live at least 200 miles away from home, and be Hispanic. Southwest claims that the program has benefited more than 1,500 students.
The lawsuit alleges that the program breaches Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which prohibits racial discrimination in contracting.
It also claims the program violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans discrimination in programs or activities receiving federal funding. The complaint argues that federal funding Southwest received during the COVID-19 pandemic makes the airline subject to this statute.
