12/29/2023 0 Comments Michael haak southwest airlinesSalnick argued that Haak deserves a lenient sentence given his “lifetime of hard work and kindness.” ![]() Haak accepts responsibility for his conduct and “offers no excuses,” his lawyer said in a court filing. “We are blessed that Southwest has been your home for so many years,” Kelly wrote. Haak any benefits he was entitled to receive as a result of his separation from (the airline),” Mainz said.ĭefense attorney Michael Salnick said Haak had a sterling career as a commercial pilot and received numerous accolades and supportive letters from passengers and colleagues, including one from Southwest chairman and CEO Gary Kelly on the day of Haak’s retirement. “Nonetheless, Southwest did investigate the matter and as a result, ceased paying Mr. Southwest spokesperson Chris Mainz said in a statement that the airline “does not tolerate behavior of this nature and will take prompt action if such conduct is substantiated.” Southwest only learned of Haak’s behavior after he voluntarily left the airline, according to Mainz. 31, 2020, three weeks after the incident that led to the criminal charge. His last flight for the Dallas-based airline was on Aug. Haak, a resident of Longwood, Florida, was a Southwest Airlines pilot for 27 years until his retirement. The judge wasn’t bound by that recommendation. ![]() He was charged in Maryland because it was one of the states that the aircraft passed over that day.įederal prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence of probation without requiring Haak to register as a sex offender. Haak was charged in April with intentionally committing a lewd, indecent or obscene act in a public place, a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of 90 days in jail. “She had a right not to be subjected to this kind of behavior, regardless of what may have motivated it or prompted it,” the prosecutor said. Southwest denies the allegations against the company and claims the airline has always supported Janning.“This is not the kind of aberrant behavior that anyone should accept,” the prosecutor added.Ĭunningham said the first officer “unfortunately suffered some consequences” as a result of the incident that Haak “didn’t have anything to do with,” but he didn’t elaborate. She said a Southwest manager sent a memo to more than 25 employees "that made baseless allegations" about her flying competency.Īt his sentencing hearing last year, Haak called the incident "a consensual prank" that got out of hand. She also said that on the day she was grounded, the airline stranded her in Denver and the FBI had to book her a United Airlines flight so she could return home to Florida. He then put the plane on autopilot, stripped off his clothes, began watching pornography on his laptop and committed a lewd act for 30 minutes while taking photos and videos of himself. She said he bolted the door so no flight attendant could enter. Janning said that when they reached cruising altitude, Haak told her this was his final flight and there was something he wanted to do before retirement. Janning believes that's because he saw a woman was the scheduled co-pilot. She says Haak, a 27-year veteran of the airline, had used his seniority rights the previous day to bump another pilot who had been scheduled to command the flight. ![]() Although Haak later pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor charge and was sentenced to probation, he now claims it was she who encouraged him to take off his clothes, and she "who made sexual advances after he disrobed."Īccording to the lawsuit filed last week in Orange County, Florida, Janning had never met Haak before August 2020, when she was his co-pilot on a flight from Philadelphia to Orlando.
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