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Wilson v. Southwest Airlines Co. Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: Southwest Airlines claimed its “love” marketing theme, featuring female flight attendants, made being female a Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ). The court rejected this, holding that customer preference based on a marketing image does not justify sex discrimination under Title VII.
Legal Significance: Establishes that an employer cannot create a BFOQ by building a marketing campaign around sex stereotypes. Customer preference is not a defense to discrimination when it is tangential to the “essence of the business” and cultivated by the employer itself.
Wilson v. Southwest Airlines Co. Law School Study Guide
Use this case brief structure for your own legal analysis. Focus on the IRAC methodology to excel in law school exams and cold calls.
Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Southwest Airlines, a commuter carrier, adopted a highly successful marketing strategy centered on a “love” theme to distinguish itself from competitors. This campaign, targeting a predominantly male business clientele, projected an image of “feminine youth and vitality.” The airline exclusively hired attractive female flight attendants and ticket agents, dressing them in “hot-pants” and high boots, and featured them in advertisements promising “tender loving care.” When a male applicant, Gregory Wilson, was rejected, he filed a class-action suit alleging sex discrimination under Title VII. Southwest conceded its policy was intentionally discriminatory but defended it as a Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ). The airline argued that its female-only hiring policy was “reasonably necessary” to the normal operation of its business because its female flight attendants personified its brand image and were crucial to its financial success. Southwest presented customer surveys, but the court found them unpersuasive in proving that hiring males would undermine the business.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Is being female a bona fide occupational qualification for the positions of flight attendant and ticket agent, reasonably necessary to the normal operation of an airline that has built its corporate image and marketing strategy around female sex appeal?
No. Being female is not a BFOQ for Southwest’s flight attendant and Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aut
IRAC Legal Analysis
Complete IRAC Analysis for Higher Grades
IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the exact format professors want to see in your exam answers. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full briefs combine holding, analysis, and rule statements formatted to match what A+ students produce in exams. These structured briefs help reinforce the essential legal reasoning patterns expected in law school.
Legal Issue
Is being female a bona fide occupational qualification for the positions of flight attendant and ticket agent, reasonably necessary to the normal operation of an airline that has built its corporate image and marketing strategy around female sex appeal?
Conclusion
The case stands as a key precedent limiting the BFOQ defense, clarifying Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim
Legal Rule
Under Title VII, sex discrimination is permissible only if sex is a Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, co
Legal Analysis
The court applied the two-step BFOQ test established in *Weeks v. Southern Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- Holding: Female sex appeal is not a bona fide occupational qualification
