WestJet has agreed to pay $4.5 million to settle a sexual harassment class-action lawsuit that was initiated a decade ago, involving over 3,000 flight attendants, as confirmed by the lead plaintiff and her legal representative. The terms of the settlement were recently approved by a British Columbia judge. The lawsuit was filed by former flight attendant Mandalena Lewis, who accused a pilot of sexually assaulting her during a layover in Hawaii in 2010. Following the initiation of the lawsuit in 2016, other female employees of the airline came forward, leading to the case being certified as a class action by the B.C. Court of Appeal in 2022.
The flight attendants alleged that WestJet did not provide a safe work environment with adequate anti-harassment measures. While Lewis expressed relief that the case has concluded, she expressed disappointment in the settlement amount, considering it symbolic and the fact that WestJet did not admit wrongdoing as part of the agreement.
The $4.5 million settlement will be divided among the 3,452 flight attendants involved in the lawsuit after deducting expenses, including legal fees. Each flight attendant is expected to receive around $400 from the settlement. Additionally, Lewis mentioned that the judge reduced her agreed-upon honorarium from $20,000 to $10,000.
WestJet stated that it is “pleased” to have reached a settlement and emphasized its commitment to enhancing operations and training to ensure the safety and well-being of its employees. As part of the settlement terms, WestJet will engage a third-party consultant to conduct a workplace assessment to evaluate the prevalence of harassment, the extent of underreporting, and ways to improve reporting and response mechanisms.
In an affidavit, Lewis described the legal process as a “nightmare,” highlighting the emotional toll of supporting former flight attendants who shared their experiences with sexual harassment. She stressed that sexual assault and harassment of female flight attendants remain significant issues within the airline industry that need to be addressed.
Legal expert Joshua Coratti viewed the settlement as favorable for WestJet, noting that it absolves the company of individual liability claims, potentially averting higher costs. He suggested that such class-action lawsuits serve to discourage companies from engaging in misconduct by setting a precedent against such behaviors.