Pakistani-Born Pilot Sues JetBlue

AP ^ | August 9, 2006 | AP

[safisoft]

Pakistani-Born Pilot Sues JetBlue, Claiming Racial Discrimination

NEW YORK (AP) -- A Pakistani-born pilot is suing JetBlue Airways Corp. for discrimination, claiming the airline rescinded a job offer and told him it was because of his background.

Faisal Baig, a U.S. citizen who was raised in Yonkers, claims in the suit that an airline manager told him in March that he was a "security risk." According to the suit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, Baig asked, "Are you saying that you are not hiring me because of my name or my religion? ...

[Sonny M]

If this is true (big IF), he's gonna nail jet blue.

[MonicaG]

Q. "Are you saying that you are not hiring me because of my name or my religion?"

A. "Der." (as in, DUH)

[Doogle]

"Are you saying that you are not hiring me because of my name or my religion? ...

..AAAHA!!!! the ole trick question that brings on law suits

[Doogle]

...yeah Jetblue should have responded with no..because you beat your wife...TADAHHH!!


Doogle

[Sacajaweau]

Everyone has something in the closet. I'm sure Jetblue has something. It may be as minute as stealing a gum ball.

[American_Centurion]

They better not be hiring muslim pilots.

You can't trust a dang one of them, I don't care if they were raised in Yonkers!

[marron]

We've decided, rather than hire you, to just give you 10 million dollars in an out of court settlement.

[San Jacinto]

"Are you saying that you are not hiring me because of my name or my religion? ...

"No, it was because you only wanted to learn to fly a plane--not land it."

[samadams2000]

I would say "your religion has a cowardly penchant for killing women and children and civilians in a cowardly manner, and yes its because of your name and your religion...Next!"

[samadams2000]

Try doing any type of business with them. It just doesnt work because business is conducted on someones word and integrity.

[Labyrinthos]

Everyone has something in the closet. I'm sure Jetblue has something. It may be as minute as stealing a gum ball.

I suspect Jet Blue offered him the job -- subject to an extensive background check, and during that background check, they found something they didn't like, such as membership in a radical mosque, friends or relatives on the DHS terrorist list, etc. Or maybe Jet Blue did discriminate without cause in which case it will end up paying big bucks to this guy, as it should.

[WV Mountain Mama]

Did it occur to this guy that a major red flag comes up when on his transcripts from pilot school, he did not take courses on how to land?

[WV Mountain Mama]

Although, I will say that at least this guy refers to himself as an American and not an Arab-American, which does win him a couple of points with me.

[Don Corleone]

"No Irish need apply"!

[Shimmer128]

No, i think it was that beheading you cheered for last year.

[GeronL]

In Texas and elsewhere companies never tell you why you didn't get a job or were fired.

[NRA2BFree]

We've decided, rather than hire you, to just give you 10 million dollars in an out of court settlement.

Exactly. It would be much cheaper than having many lawsuits filed against them by the families of those killed when he crashed his jet full of people into a large building. ;)

[GeronL]

They should have done the check before they offered him the job

[kingu]

Did it occur to this guy that a major red flag comes up when on his transcripts from pilot school, he did not take courses on how to land?

For those who didn't click the link and read the story, he was seven when he came over, was raised in Yonkers, and flew for Independence Air for six years.

JetBlue had better have something on this guy, or they're going to be paying him a lifetime salary in one lump sum. Knowing JetBlue, though, if the background check failed, it was either because of inaccurate information on the application form, or an arrest.

[Pukin Dog]

All Jet Blue job offers come with a "subject to background check" clause in them. That is a fact. Mine was rescinded due to a history of high blood pressure.

[MonroeDNA]

I would not board a plane with a Muslim pilot, under any circumstances.

[usflagwaver]

I was thinking the same thing. That Jet Blue manager is an idiot.

[Shimmer128]

Oh no! Are the Irish bombing and raping innocents now too????

[Lizavetta]

Send this camel poker packing

"Alex, I'll take "Euphemisms for Rug Pilots" for $500."

[WV Mountain Mama]

Maybe, but I wonder how long the EgyptAir 990 copilot worked before saying a prayer, disengaging the autopilot and sending the plane into a nosedive from 33,000 feet.

[GeronL]

I guess some states and industries have tighter rules about informing the people looking for a job about the checks.

[GeronL]

could be some law I never heard of... only about a million of those out there

[COEXERJ145]

It wasn't the co-pilot who crashed Egypt Air 990. It was a reserve pilot who was left alone in the cockpit against all regulations.

[Guenevere]

You personally?...or your family?

Weren't you in the Navy?....didn't you fly for at least one other airline?

This doesn't compute?

Looks like they let a good one get away!.....(not the Pakistani)...You!

[WV Mountain Mama]

Sorry for the mix-up.

[river rat]

I would think that a slick lawyer could make a VERY strong case that a Pious Muslim -- one believing in and following the dictates of the Koran and Haddiths -- is by definition a "security risk"to non Muslims....

It would certain be the trial of the century..
One that must ultimately be held...

Damn - from all the horrific news we're getting related to the lunatics acting out in Pakistan -- being a Pakistani should be sufficient grounds to be confined to a straitjacket and deported.

Semper Fi

[Americanexpat]

Coming to this country when you were seven years old dosen´t reassure me. We have Muslim Americans who were born here and citizens converting to Islam that have plotted and carried out terrorists acts against this country.

I too hope that they have something more than just his religeon and place of birth on him or they will probably be sued.

[safisoft]

They should have done the check before they offered him the job

That is not how they do it. JetBlue's job offer is contingent on an extensive background check. They offered him the job, and THEN found out he was Paki-Muslim. In other words, he was not forthright in his application, or during his interview. JetBlue is very good at this kind of thing, believe me. They will win this one easy.

[Pukin Dog]

I have battled high blood pressure since I was in my 20s. I think it has something to do with my love of Mexican food and various forms of alcoholic pleasures. I got away with it in the Navy, took pills at Delta, and got caught at Jet Blue.

Since it was almost a year ago, I now believe it was for the best.

[Pukin Dog]

The JetBlue application is quite the monster too. They let you know quite clearly that if anything on the application is false or misleading, you are history. The guy will have no case, unless JetBlue wants to settle to quiet it down.

[null and void]

I would think that a slick lawyer could make a VERY strong case that a Pious Muslim -- one believing in and following the dictates of the Koran and Haddiths -- is by definition a "security risk"to non Muslims....

I'll get the popcorn!!!

[Guenevere]

Thanks PD....You're a very honest guy!

[Sonny M]

I would not board a plane with a Muslim pilot, under any circumstances.

And what if you don't know?

As I've learned, its not as easy as one thinks to know who is or who isn't.

See nation of islam or far east muslims for details.

[Sonny M]

They offered him the job, and THEN found out he was Paki-Muslim. In other words, he was not forthright in his application, or during his interview. JetBlue is very good at this kind of thing, believe me. They will win this one easy.

If they denied him the job because he was a Paki-Muslim, they should have offered him a check on the spot, because one way or another, he is gonna get paid, and paid big time.

[Sonny M]

They let you know quite clearly that if anything on the application is false or misleading, you are history. The guy will have no case, unless JetBlue wants to settle to quiet it down.

They'll pay him.

Otherwise, they'll be paying him even more.

Jetblue, if they try to claim they didn't hire him because he is a muslim, and confirm what he said, they are dead in the water, and just plain stupidly honest.....and will be poorer for it.

[proxy_user]

Well, it is illegal to ask your race or religion on an application for, or during the interview, so they can't say he concealed it.

You're not even allowed to ask a candidate's sex, although this is usually fairly easy to guess.

[Old_Mil]

There are some pretty old school attitudes in this industry. For instance, Delta only hires white guys as pilots.

[Lazamataz]

You're not even allowed to ask a candidate's sex, although this is usually fairly easy to guess.

It's true.

I once got our company sued by asking a cute female applicant if her sex was "often".

[safisoft]

There are some pretty old school attitudes in this industry. For instance, Delta only hires white guys as pilots.

Yeah right. I don't suppose you know many Delta pilots do you?

What airlines don't tolerate is concealment and lying on applications etc. All people are reading is what the "pilot" said that JetBlue said. The fact is that there are so many reasons to "unhire" a pilot, it would make your head swim. Being Paki-Muslim only raises the red flags... finding a legal reason is easy after that.

[Old_Mil]

Yeah right. I don't suppose you know many Delta pilots do you?

Actually I know more than you could possibly imagine, and for whatever reason Delta management doesn't put women or non-whites at the controls. Who they hire is up to them, of course, and I don't know that I'd be going out of my way to hire a Muzzie if I was an airline HR department.

[ASOC]

BOth.

OR amybe it was all the DUI arrests...who knows & I doubt we will ever see any followup on the story. THe story has accomplished what the writer desired = Jet blue is racist....

[Pukin Dog]

Your comments about Delta are coming from your ass. Delta has pilots of many nationalities and women.

[Sacajaweau]

Sorry...The American Citizen gig doesn't work anymore. We said early on they would start using citizens as a strategy. I believe a few of the Buffalo 6 were USA born citizens.