Southwest addresses fallout from pilot’s inflight outburst
The use of an intercom to share coded language is forcing communicators to ask new questions about the limits of employee speech and freedom of expression.
The increasingly rancorous political discourse in the U.S. is giving employers fits.
The latest incident? A Southwest Airlines pilot shared a coded phrase that experts say is meant to express negative sentiment about President Joe Biden. The phrase “Let’s go, Brandon,” has been popularized in conservative circles as a euphemism for “F*** Joe Biden.”
The Associated Press reported that the pilot used the phrase on a flight from Houston to Albuquerque and there were audible gasps from passengers.
Southwest says it does not condone its employees sharing personal political opinions while working.
“One Employee’s individual perspective should not be interpreted as a viewpoint for Southwest and its collective 54,000 Employees,” the airlines’ statement said.
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