A 79-year-old former Delta Air Lines flight attendant is suing the airline after being fired over accusations that she swiped a carton of milk and other on-flight goods.
Ida Gomez Llanos, who worked for the company for 57 years, claims she was the victim of a smear campaign orchestrated by envious colleagues who wanted her gone because of her seniority and whopping $250,000 salary.
The lawsuit, filed this month in a Los Angeles court, claims she was “harassed” and “bullied,” and that the spreading of lies led to her being penalized and eventually terminated.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Gomez Llanos told the Daily Mail. “I’ve been accused of so many things and none were true. I try not to take it personally, but when you get mean about me and start lying, that is a problem.”
According to court documents filed in Los Angeles, Gomez Llanos said she received her first write-up in nearly 60 years in April 2018. She believes that since Delta could hire and pay three or four other attendants for what they pay her, the airline was trying to do whatever it could to remove her from the company.
Gomez Llanos claims she was an exemplary employee until she was terminated and reportedly earned multiple company rewards and stellar reviews from customers.
Despite this, the bosses gladly wrote her up.
“They want to get rid of the older flight attendants. I think they put us on a higher surveillance. It’s because they have to pay us so much because we’ve been there forever and your pay scale goes up each year. I think they can hire four newer flight attendants for what they pay me,” she claimed.
When asked about the accusations, a Delta spokesperson said the company stood by its decision to terminate Gomez Llanos.
“When a violation of company policy is identified or inappropriate conduct is reported, Delta conducts a thorough investigation to determine the appropriate course of action – considering many factors, including the employee’s overall performance record and length of service,” Delta said in a statement. “Decisions like these are not made lightly or without a comprehensive review by many.”
Watch the video report below for more details:
Sources: OpposingViews, Daily Mail