CHICAGO- A United Airlines (UA) flight attendant who suffers from Crohn’s disease is taking the airline to court after being fired in 2022 for attendance-related issues linked to her condition. The federal judge has ruled that her disability discrimination lawsuit against United can proceed to trial.
The case centers on whether United Airlines violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by refusing reasonable accommodations, such as intermittent medical leave, for a crew member based at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD).
Representative Photo: United AirlinesUnited Flight Attendants’ Lawsuit
The flight attendant, who began her career with United Airlines in 1999, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2010.
For over a decade, she managed her condition using Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provisions, which allowed her to take time off during flare-ups. Things changed in 2022 when she returned from COVID-19 furlough and was ineligible for FMLA leave due to insufficient work hours.
Her condition led to occasional absences, which accumulated as attendance “points” under United’s performance system. With just five more points needed to trigger termination, she faced mounting pressure.
Despite eventually regaining FMLA eligibility, her physician missed the submission deadline for required documentation, and the absence was penalized. The resulting points led to her dismissal in June 2022.
United Airlines argued that “dependability” is a core requirement of a flight attendant’s role, emphasizing that the airline’s operations depend on punctual and reliable attendance.
The company sought summary judgment to have the case dismissed. However, the judge ruled in favor of the plaintiff, allowing all three claims—disability discrimination, retaliation, and failure to accommodate—to proceed to trial.
According to PYOK, the lawsuit raises a broader question about how airlines should balance operational reliability with legal obligations to support employees with chronic medical conditions.
Representative Photo: UnitedCrohn’s Disease and Workplace Challenges
Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel condition that can cause severe pain, fatigue, weight loss, and frequent diarrhea.
Symptoms often occur in unpredictable flare-ups, making consistent work attendance challenging. While treatments can reduce symptoms, there is no cure, and the intensity of the condition varies significantly between individuals.
A 2025 U.S. study found that employees with Crohn’s disease have substantially higher absenteeism rates compared to the general workforce. For flight attendants, whose jobs demand strict adherence to flight schedules, this poses unique difficulties.
Photo: United AirlinesDependability vs. Disability Accommodation
The core of the legal dispute is whether “dependability” is an essential job function or a flexible standard that allows for accommodation under the ADA.
United maintains that reliable attendance is fundamental to flight safety and scheduling. The plaintiff counters that United could have offered reasonable accommodations, such as flexible scheduling or intermittent leave, without undermining operational needs.
United’s internal policy assigns one to three attendance points for absences or tardiness. Employees who reach 30 points face termination.
The plaintiff had accumulated more than 25 points by November 2020 and had received a Level 4 warning, requiring two years of perfect attendance for the points to reset.
The upcoming trial will likely determine whether United’s dependability policy unfairly penalized an employee managing a chronic illness, or whether the airline acted within its rights to enforce attendance standards critical to its operations.
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