{"id":2397546,"date":"2025-01-31T14:12:01","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T19:12:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-to-know-about-the-suit-against-faa-diversity-policies-critics-blame-for-crash-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-01-31T14:14:46","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T19:14:46","slug":"what-to-know-about-the-suit-against-faa-diversity-policies-critics-blame-for-crash-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-to-know-about-the-suit-against-faa-diversity-policies-critics-blame-for-crash-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"What to know about the suit against FAA diversity policies critics blame for crash &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhat-to-know-about-the-suit-against-faa-diversity-policies-critics-blame-for-crash-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2397546&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses a class-action lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Governance (FAA) following a tragic midair collision in Washington, \u2062D.C.,that\u2063 resulted in 67 \u200bfatalities,marking it as one\u2064 of the deadliest aviation disasters in nearly 25 years. The \u2064lawsuit, originally filed in December 2015, alleges that the\u200d FAA engaged in racial discrimination by prioritizing diversity in hiring over qualified candidates, which critics argue has contributed to a staffing crisis in air traffic \u2062control. The lead plaintiff, Andrew Brigida,\u200d claims he was denied a position despite scoring highly in his training due to the FAA&#8217;s focus on diversity initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">legal\u2064 battle gained renewed attention<\/a> considering the recent crash, with calls for increased \u200bsafety measures within\u2062 the FAA. Critics, including members of the Trump administration, have highlighted that the FAA&#8217;s approach to hiring, criticized as &#8220;biographical \u200dassessment,&#8221; compromises safety by\u200d sidelining highly qualified applicants. The ongoing litigation is part \u2063of broader criticisms against federal agencies prioritizing diversity over\u200c merit, with potential\u200b reforms from new leadership anticipated soon. This \u200ccase embodies the \u2063ongoing debate \u200dabout balancing diversity goals with maintaining safety and expertise in critical roles.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">What to know about the suit against FAA diversity policies critics blame for crash<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1965333\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Scrutiny on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/federal-aviation-administration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Federal Aviation Administration<\/a> after a deadly midair collision in Washington, D.C., has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/it-was-my-son-texas-mom-wont-be-charged-after-aborting-baby-against-fathers-wishes\/\" title=\"\u2018It Was My Son\u2019: Texas Mom Won\u2019t Be Charged After Aborting Baby Against Father\u2019s Wishes\">brought renewed attention<\/a> to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-blocks-class-action-lawsuit-from-twitter-employees-fired-by-elon-musk\/\" title=\"Judge Blocks Class Action Lawsuit From Twitter Employees Fired by Elon Musk\">class-action lawsuit alleging<\/a> that the agency committed <a href=\"https:\/\/mslegal.org\/cases\/brigida-v-faa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">racial discrimination<\/a> in hiring policies.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The lawsuit was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.dcd.182656\/gov.uscourts.dcd.182656.1.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">originally filed<\/a> on Dec. 30, 2015, in Washington, D.C., federal court during the Obama administration. The complaint argues the FAA denied jobs to upward of 1,000 qualified applicants to meet diversity hiring targets, a policy critics suggest played a role in the staffing crisis in air traffic control.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Passenger planes rest at Reagan National Airport in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021.  (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This long-standing challenge against the FAA <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/tracewoodgrains\/status\/1752091831095939471?s=12&amp;t=ob9kypIdDUnueVHCxmow5A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">gained heightened attention online<\/a> following Wednesday&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3305147\/potomac-plane-crash-rescue-operation-underway-near-reagan-airport-apparent-helicopter-collision\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">catastrophic collision<\/a> between an <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/americanair\/status\/1884798791854747869?s=46&amp;t=DZfHmZ9RYj2IBXl0_dptLw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">American Airlines<\/a> passenger plane and a Black Hawk helicopter, which resulted in 67 fatalities&mdash;the deadliest aviation disaster in the U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3305297\/multiple-difficulties-have-surrounded-reagan-national-airport-fatal-crash\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">in nearly 25 years<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Andrew Brigida, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit represented by Mountain State Legal Foundation, or MSLF, contends that the FAA&rsquo;s focus on diversity initiatives compromised safety by sidelining highly qualified candidates.<\/p>\n<p>Brigida, who now works at the FAA as a program manager, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/diversity-hiring-cost-job-faa-081042821.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">told<\/a>&nbsp;<em>The Telegraph<\/em> he hoped Trump would &ldquo;immediately&rdquo; work to fix the apparent staffing crisis.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He obviously sees the issue at hand, and if he didn&rsquo;t, I&rsquo;m sure people that work in the Department of Transportation and the FAA informed him that there is an issue with staffing and air traffic control, and I&rsquo;m hoping they can work on it immediately,&rdquo; Brigida said.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit alleges that under former President Barack Obama, the FAA replaced a skill-based hiring system with a &ldquo;biographical assessment&rdquo; aimed at increasing minority representation. Brigida, who says he scored 100% on his air traffic controller training exam, claims he was denied employment due to his race.<\/p>\n<p>In early 2022, Brigida achieved a major victory before U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, who approved the class action certification of Brigida, Matthew Douglas-Cook, and other aspiring air traffic controllers who scored well but were unable to proceed due to what MSLF calls the FAA&rsquo;s &ldquo;effort to skew the hiring process along racial lines.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In response to the mid-air collision over the Potomac River, MSLF general counsel William Trachman <a href=\"https:\/\/mslegal.org\/press-releases\/mountain-states-legal-foundation-mourns-tragic-dc-aircraft-collision-urges-action-in-air-safety-standards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">said<\/a> on Thursday that safety must remain a &ldquo;foremost priority&rdquo; for the FAA, adding &ldquo;only the most capable individuals should be entrusted with such a critical role.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Criticism of the FAA&rsquo;s hiring policies has intensified as preliminary reports confirm that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/donald-trumps-plane-makes-emergency-landing-after-new-orleans-speech\/\" title=\"Donald Trump\u2019s Plane Makes Emergency Landing After New Orleans Speech\">air traffic control tower<\/a> at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was understaffed at the time of the collision. The FAA acknowledged that the controller on duty was performing the roles of two people, managing both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft&mdash;tasks typically divided between multiple personnel.<\/p>\n<p>During a White House press conference on Thursday, Vice President JD Vance addressed the Brigida lawsuit directly.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If you go back to just some of the headlines over the past ten years, you have many hundreds of people suing the government because they would like to be air traffic controllers but they were turned away because of the color of their skin. That policy ends under Donald Trump&rsquo;s leadership because safety is the first priority of our industry,&rdquo; Vance said.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Vice President JD Vance discusses our Brigida class action lawsuit against the FAA as he gives a statement to the media regarding the tragic airline crash in Washington D.C. yesterday. MSLF has been fighting for over decade for hundreds of would be air traffic controllers who&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/bt1t8osLhE\">pic.twitter.com\/bt1t8osLhE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Mountain States Legal Foundation (@MSLF) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MSLF\/status\/1885057370759299311?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 30, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>The vice president&rsquo;s comments came just hours before recently confirmed DOT Secretary Sean Duffy <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Oriana0214\/status\/1885181081021817062\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">said<\/a> he would soon announce major reforms for the FAA.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>reached out to the FAA to inquire whether the agency is planning any sort of settlement in the ongoing litigation.<\/p>\n<p>President Donald Trump notably criticized his presidential predecessors during the conference as well, including Obama and former President Joe Biden, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">President Trump on NTSB investigation and safety: &#8220;I put safety first. Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first&hellip;my administration will set the highest possible bar for aviation safety.&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/F557NDQ4iM\">pic.twitter.com\/F557NDQ4iM<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/cspan\/status\/1885004789492175047?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 30, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I put safety first. Obama, Biden, and the Democrats put policy first. And they put politics at a level that nobody&rsquo;s ever seen because this was the lowest level,&rdquo; Trump told reporters, adding &ldquo;Their policy was horrible, and their politics was even worse.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Trump also claimed Buttigieg ran the Department of Transportation &ldquo;right into the ground with his diversity&rdquo; initiatives.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Despicable. As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying. We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-sean-duffys-first-day-at-dot-went-from-triumph-to-tragedy-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"How Sean Duffy\u2019s first day at DOT went from triumph to tragedy - Washington Examiner\">commercial airline crash fatalities<\/a> out of millions of flights on our watch. <br \/>President Trump now oversees the military and the&hellip;<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PeteButtigieg\/status\/1885013865676562491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 30, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>In response, Buttigieg posted to X that Trump&rsquo;s analysis of the situation was dishonest and &ldquo;despicable.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying. We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch,&rdquo; Buttigieg said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>CLICK HERE&nbsp;TO&nbsp;READ MORE&nbsp;FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Brigida case, which could go to trial as early as next year, is part of broader criticism directed at federal agencies that the Trump administration argues have prioritized diversity over merit and expertise.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>contacted legal representatives for Brigida but did not immediately receive a response.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1965333\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1965333\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A class-action lawsuit against the FAA claims racial discrimination in hiring, intensified by a recent deadly midair collision<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2397547,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Reagan-airport.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[38144,49589,14154,4585,32076],"class_list":["post-2397546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-aviation-safety","tag-diversity-policies","tag-faa","tag-lawsuit","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Reagan-airport.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2397546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2397546"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2397546\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2397550,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2397546\/revisions\/2397550"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2397547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2397546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2397546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2397546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}