Two former employees have filed individual lawsuits against United Airlines, accusing the carrier of problematic behavior.
According to a federal lawsuit acquired by The Independent, Chantel Matthews, 41, is suing United Airlines over wrongful termination and sexual harassment that her supervisor allegedly subjected her to. Filed July 7, the suit claims that once she began working at Newark Liberty International Airport in November 2022, her male supervisor continuously made romantic and suggestive comments to her. The inappropriate statements allegedly included things said at work and over text, even about Matthews’ physique. Her filing claimed that she ignored the supervisor’s unsolicited texts, which he sent after gathering her phone number from her company file.
Matthews claims that three days into the job, the supervisor retaliated against her due to her disinterest in his advances. As things escalated over more time, she reported the man’s alleged behavior to United Airlines’ human resources department. Her lawsuit alleged that she was reassigned (two weeks after her start date) to the airport’s command center. At the latter worksite, a new team leader reportedly told her “to remove a 300-pound dead body from one of… United’s planes.”
Matthews stated that at one point, her team leader threatened to send her home if she didn’t complete the task. Ultimately, she was unable to move the body by herself, and she allegedly fell and screamed in pain while attempting to do so. Her lawsuit stated that a United Airlines medical facility said she suffered “severe neck and shoulder muscle strains.” Later, United Airlines allegedly terminated Matthews in November 2023 while she was on medical leave due to the incident. Her lawsuit further claimed that the carrier continued employing the supervisor who allegedly sexually harassed her.
Pilot Claims He Was Forced Into Alcoholism Treatment After A Concussion
Separately, on July 3, Captain Mike Tallon, 56, filed a federal lawsuit against United Airlines. His complaint alleged that the carrier and the Air Line Pilots Association forced him to undergo unnecessary treatment for alcoholism, or lose his job.
As his story goes, the pilot was on a layover in the Azores when he tripped and fell on uneven cobblestone, “sustaining visible facial lacerations and concussion symptoms.” Tallon experienced confusion and slurred speech after the fall, prompting him to request that a United manager remove him from the next day’s flight schedule. During that discussion, Tallon mentioned that he’d had an alcoholic beverage with his dinner. The manager then allegedly contacted Tallon’s co-pilot and asked about the drinking. The co-pilot allegedly disclosed that Tallon wasn’t drunk, but possibly concussed.
Tallon’s lawsuit claims the manager didn’t suggest he seek medical attention for his head injury. The filing reportedly added that amid his “concussed fog,” the captain also spoke to his Air Line Pilots Association union rep. Tallon allegedly told the latter that “he needed help with his drinking, in response to her leading questions on the topic.”
The captain alleges that once he was back in the United States, the airline and the pilots association “pressured him to admit to alcoholism.” Moreover, his union rep reportedly arranged, and pushed, for him to go to a recovery center, as well as sign up for an aviation industry-designated substance abuse recovery program.
A United Airlines medical doctor allegedly disregarded Tallon’s health records with no personal history of alcoholism. Nor did they take seriously the evidence of Tallon’s head injury, per his account. The pilot reportedly left the recovery center he was forced to go to without being assigned a diagnosis. Though he showed no signs of alcoholism, he continued yielding to United Airlines’ alleged pressure and treatment demands. Reportedly, Tallon’s last straw was when the carrier asked him to undergo neurocognitive testing that a doctor previously deemed unnecessary.
The Independent claims United Airlines fired Tallon in February 2025, citing his lack of compliance with the substance abuse program.
What Else Is There To Know About The Lawsuits Against United Airlines?
Matthews seeks compensation for her lost wages, plus front and back pay. She also wants money for her attorney and court costs, as well as for various damages. United Airlines hasn’t commented on her lawsuit.
Tallon seeks compensation for his emotional distress, damaged reputation, and for his lost wages and benefits. He allegedly wants United Airlines to revise its substance abuse program, as well as payment for punitive damages and his lawyer and court costs. According to The Independent, a spokesperson for the carrier said, “Since this is an ongoing legal matter, we won’t have anything to share.”
