United Airlines violated a clear federal court order — and destroyed the career of one of America’s finest pilots

Liberty Counsel is taking United to court

On February 17, 2022, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered United Airlines to stop discriminating against employees who requested religious exemptions from its COVID shot mandate.

Just eight days later, United willfully ignored that injunction and fired First Officer Christopher P. Gates — a man who had served United faithfully for 25 years and our nation as a Naval aviator for 11 years.

Help Defend First Officer Gates Against United’s Illegal Firing and a special Year-End Challenge Grant will DOUBLE the impact of your donation.

Christopher’s record speaks for itself: 

• Thirty-six years of aviation experience. 
• Thousands of hours of safe flight. 
• No disciplinary actions — ever. 
• Multiple awards and honors from both the U.S. Navy and United Airlines. 

Yet when Christopher asked for a religious accommodation, United refused to even consider his request. Instead, the company clipped his wings and ended his career. 

Why This Matters

Christopher is a practicing Catholic. His faith teaches that every human life is sacred from conception. The COVID-19 shots available in 2021 were tested and/or manufactured using aborted fetal cell lines from babies killed from 1972 and 1985. To Christopher, taking the shot would make him complicit in an act his faith calls intrinsically evil.

United’s mandate was riddled with exceptions: 

• Passengers weren’t required to be vaccinated. 
• Foreign-based United employees weren’t required. 
• Jump seat pilots from other airlines weren’t required. 
• Contractors and caterers weren’t required. 
• Pilots in United Airlines commuter planes (United Express) weren’t required. 
• Employees in anti-mandate states, like Florida, weren’t required. 

Unvaccinated individuals were everywhere in United’s operation — except among employees who dared to stand by their faith.

Don’t let Big Business CANCEL religious freedom rights!

When Christopher submitted his request, United claimed he missed an arbitrary deadline by six days, even though United’s deadline to get the shot was weeks later. A federal court later ruled that United’s arbitrary deadline could not be used to deny religious accommodations. United ignored that ruling. 

This wasn’t about safety. It was about coercion. As one court observed, United’s CEO expressed “skepticism and apparent disdain” for religious exemptions. At a company town hall, he warned employees:

“Very few” exemptions would be granted. If you suddenly claim to be religious, “you’d better be very careful about that.” 

Christopher gave United 25 years. He carried tens of thousands of passengers safely through the skies. He never failed United — but United failed him.

Now, Christopher faces a legal battle against one of the largest airlines in the world. And Christopher is not alone. We are also representing other United Airlines employees, whose stories I will tell you soon.

We cannot let Big Business trample religious freedom.

Your gift today will help us fight! Your gift of 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1,000 dollars, or more will help us defend Christopher and others like him — and protect the rights of every American to live and work according to their faith. Best of all, a special Year-End Challenge Grant will DOUBLE the impact of every donation made by midnight, December 31. Please give generously.