A United Airlines pilot who was fired after refusing to participate in a substance abuse program following a DUI arrest is suing the airline for racial discrimination.
John Paul Castillo III, who was an Air Force pilot for 13 years before joining United in January 2023, accused the airline of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and of defamation in a lawsuit filed on October 13 in the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division.
The pilot was arrested in July 2023 for suspected DUI after a field sobriety test. While there was no blood alcohol test conducted, and the charges were eventually dismissed, the airline pressured him into enrolling in its substance abuse program, HIMS, according to the lawsuit.
Castillo refused to take part in the program, citing an independent substance-abuse evaluation that found the incident was “a one-off” and that he did not have an alcohol-use disorder.
However, before he could even share the findings, United fired him over a temporary lapse of his FAA first-class medical certificate, which is mandatory for all airline pilots.
In the lawsuit, Castillo accuses United of violating the ADA by perceiving him as having an alcohol-use disorder and retaliating against him. He also contends in the suit that a white probationary pilot facing similar DUI charges remained employed because he joined the HIMS treatment program.
“United’s decision to fire Mr. Castillo while allowing other pilots — including those actually diagnosed with alcohol use disorder — to remain employed during the FAA review demonstrates disparate treatment based on its mistaken perception that Mr. Castillo was an alcoholic,” the lawsuit states.
The complaint alleges that United’s actions reflect “racialized stereotypes about Hispanic men and alcohol use” and that the airline acted in violation of Title VII.
Castillo also claims he faced retaliation after hiring a lawyer, with the lawsuit claiming his boss, Chief Pilot Ernie Aller, told a union representative that Castillo was fired for “lawyering up and not communicating.”
“Aller’s statement demonstrates that United’s decision was motivated not only by its misperception of alcoholism but also by retaliation for Mr. Castillo’s protected act of retaining counsel to defend his rights.”
Castillo is also suing the airline for defamation after United allegedly told the FAA that his employment was terminated due to “pilot performance issues.”
“United knew or should have known that the ‘pilot-performance’ designation was false when it was submitted, and it unreasonably delayed correcting the record for approximately eighteen months, during which Mr. Castillo incurred legal expense to obtain the correction,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit goes on to claim that Castillo suffered “reputational harm” and will miss out on employment opportunities due to United’s error.
Castillo seeks reinstatement or front pay, back pay, compensatory and punitive damages and attorney fees.
United did not immediately return a request for comment from The Independent.
