Qasim Rashid, Esq.Dec 29, 2022

As Southwest CEO Bob Jordan pretends to apologize—remember—SW got a $7B federal bailout, spent $5.6B of that on Stock Buybacks, gave their CEO a raise to $9.1M, & forced frontline workers into 16 hour shifts under threat of termination—while spending $0 updating SW software😳

Southwest’s debacle isn’t an accident. It’s the predictable result of billionaire & corporate corruption & greed—& thousands of workers & travelers are paying the price.

In a just world SW execs will face criminal charges.

Show threadkrayneumDec 29, 2022
@QasimRashid This is probably an unpopular opinion, but if running your business poorly were a crime, no one would ever start a business. But you can bet the Southwest debacle will be addressed in civil court through one or more massive lawsuits. And many customers will take their business elsewhere. Add in likely government action, and this will be a hugely expensive holiday season for Southwest.
Show threadQasim Rashid, Esq.Dec 29, 2022
@krayneum running your business poorly is one thing. But taking on clients knowing full well ahead of time that you cannot fulfill the contract is beyond unethical and I would argue fraud.
Show threadkrayneumDec 29, 2022
@QasimRashid I doubt any prosecutor would file charges. Fraud requires intent, and to prove intent here you'd have to prove that Southwest knew for a fact that their systems would be overwhelmed by the combination of near-unprecedented weather and a crush of holiday travelers, and that significant harm to their customers would be the result. That would be a hard case to make.
Show threadSeth D. AlfordDec 30, 2022

@krayneum @QasimRashid Clearly SW should be sued for lots of money.

Could a prosecutor convince a jury to criminally convict SW's senior management of fraud? That there was no way SW could get people to their destinations after taking their money? Sure, if the prosecutor could seat a jury of people who were elderly, or traveling with small children, who were stranded at the airport by SW. But from what I remember from last time I was called for jury duty, jurors have to be impartial.

Show threadkrayneum
@setha45 @QasimRashid Great point.
Dec 30, 2022 at 12:42amWeb