A transgender flight attendant has filed a federal lawsuit against Delta Air Lines, accusing the company of failing to protect her from repeated harassment and discrimination on the job due to her race and gender identity.
Shalani Imura, a former Delta employee, alleges she was bullied, outed, and ultimately driven out of her position after working charter flights for the Tennessee Titans beginning in 2020. According to the lawsuit, Imura “presented as female, and no one would have known about her status as a transgender person” until she was repeatedly outed by a lead flight attendant with a documented history of anti-trans and anti-Asian bias.
The complaint states that this lead attendant created a hostile work environment over a span of years, making racist remarks, disclosing Imura’s transgender identity without consent, and allegedly stating that she “wanted to get rid of her.” The complaint accuses the same person of manipulating flight assignments to prevent Imura from working and planning her demotion.
Imura claims she followed Delta’s internal procedures for reporting discrimination and harassment but alleges the airline misrepresented the results of its investigation to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), stating they could not corroborate her claims.
Ultimately, Imura said the emotional toll forced her to leave the company. She is seeking declaratory, injunctive, and equitable relief, as well as monetary damages and attorneys’ fees.
Delta declined to address the lawsuit’s specifics, stating, “We do not tolerate bullying, harassment, and discrimination of any kind.”
The case adds to growing concerns about workplace protections for transgender employees, particularly in high-profile and customer-facing industries like aviation.
