Details Alleged In the Naked and Masturbating SWA Captain Haak Case
Public filings recently emerged in the Christine Janning v. SWA and SWAPA case alleging Southwest System Chief Pilot, David Newton, attempted to obstruct the FBI’s Federal investigation. Apparently, in the hours just after learning that Janning had reported Captain Haak’s crimes to the FBI, David Newton wrote an email to multiple employees revealing Janning’s participation in the FBI investigation, sharing both her name and home address.
As if revealing the identity of a federally protected victim/witness in an ongoing federal investigation wasn’t bad enough, Newton advised that Janning’s removal was pursuant to a section of the contract (CBA 2.C.) which is ONLY reserved for pilots that have committed a crime, been detained by authorities for suspected illicit behavior, or if the pilot has demonstrated tendencies that draw into question their mental fitness for duty. None of which applied to Janning.
In short, a section 2.C. Is a “death sentence.” And according to Janning's recent filing, Newton's 2.C.citation “was done with purpose and malice for the express purpose of advising the recipients, that Ms. Janning was removed for the commission of a crime, and/or for psychological and fitness for duty.” (¶112)
The Significance of “2.C”
Airlines have sections in their contracts, or policies, identifying actions for pilot violations, criminal behavior, or mental fitness for duty. At Southwest they call it a 2.C. at Delta they have a Section 15, the very language Delta used to weaponize my psychological evaluation in effort to destroy my career and professional reputation. This language is a death sentence and Airlines use it to weaponize the psychological evaluation process to silence pilots like Christine, myself and others.
The FBI Was Not Amused
Christine was a federally protected victim/witness, and neither the FBI or the DOJ found Newton’s tactics of revealing their investigation to internal employees or sharing Janning by name with home address amusing, and thus turned their investigations into the retaliatory actions by Janning’s managers, specifically David Newton:
¶ 129 - “[Janning] advised FBI investigators of the significance of 2.C.language, and that her removal from all flying duties was actually a veiled threat to force Ms. Janning into a retaliatory psychological evaluation for reporting her incident to federal authorities.”¶ 131 - “The DOJ immediately intervened and prohibited their federally protected witness from being threatened further.”¶ 132 - “As a result of SWA’s retaliatory actions against Ms. Janning, primarily those of Cpt. Newton, the DOJ Prosecutor warned SWA, that Cpt. Newton’s, December 9, 2020 correspondence [2.C. email] jeopardized, their Federal case, and the victim’s privacy, by revealing their primary witness by name and home address, and exposed her to scrutiny by revealing her participation in a federal investigation.”¶133 - The DOJ instructed Southwest to retain outside counsel because Newton’s email displayed a reckless disregard of the truth, and he exercise no ordinary care in the distribution of the misinformation, but he also violated Federal laws and DOJ and FBI policy when he disseminated his emails to a multitude of SWA and SWAPA employees of their investigation.”¶ 134 - “The FBI and DOJ, warned Cpt. Newton, and SWA Legal, of possible, ‘prison time’ for their disclosure and interference and insinuated that charges may be a possibility.”
Janning has revealed these new details of retaliation and defamation in her amended complaint, in a case that she filed over two-years ago, because a Ninth Judicial Circuit of Orange County Florida Civil Judge, Judge Eric Netcher, has threatened to release Southwest System Chief Pilot David Newton from her lawsuit, asserting that the 2.C. language isn’t defamatory and therefore Janning couldn’t be harmed. What?!
Rumors of a mental health issue and/or criminal behavior of a pilot is damning enough. Yet as we all know the talk on the flight line will grow exponentially with such false rumors. This fact, is one of the reasons that Judge Morris awarded such a significant amount in my case, ten times higher than typical, because of the "pilot talk." He knows the power of gossip and how damning what Delta asserted can be. We all do.
Southwest and SWAPA argue that 2.C. language is nothing more than an administrative formality and serves only as notification to Janning advising of her removal. Janning is making every effort to enlighten the Judge so he understands the reality of what false assertions can do to a pilot. Thus, he is giving her another bite at this, and the reason for this new filing.
I've been following this case, and after reading this current filing, and if Judge Netcher were to follow through with granting Southwest Motion to Dismiss David Newton, Janning has a strong argument for appeal. Prayers he allows justice to prevail.
You may recall in Janning’s lawsuit, Captain Haak, the perpetrator, plead guilty in 2021 to a lewd obscene act under DC Federal Code, that included exposing the anus and genitals and masturbating, all while he was piloting a Boeing 737 at 41,000 feet with passengers and crew on board, while in the presence of his female First Officer, Christine Janning.
Since being sexually assaulted in the air, Christine Janning has been on a mission to legally hold Southwest Airlines, their managers, and her pilot union Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association, SWPA, accountable, for covering up Captain Michael Haak’s previous sexual proclivities and acts of sexual harassment multiple female and male victims. Despite her employer’s attempts to throw multiple motions to dismiss her case, Janning is not giving up her fight.
What do you think?
Time has a way of revealing all things, and the SWA and SWAPA delays have proven to be an asset. Christine has been contacted by multiple assault victims of Southwest perpetrators, not just Michael Haak, and she has helped them in their own battles.
If you are an employee of Southwest Airlines and a victim of sexual harassment or assault, I highly encourage you to reach out to Christine. She can help. You can reach her through stopairlineassault@proton.me.
Keep fighting Christine!
