⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

The Fifth Circuit hears Corr Flight versus the Department of Labor. The Labor Department's Administrative Review Board upheld an award to pilot Colin DeBuse under AIR 21, the federal law protecting airline workers who report safety violations. The board found that DeBuse's refusal to train with a captain he considered unsafe was protected activity and contributed to his unpaid suspension. Corr Flight asks the court to set that ruling aside. The case also asks whether protections against removing the administrative law judge who heard the claim were unconstitutional and, if so, what remedy follows. Sterling Kidd of Baker Donelson represents Corr Flight. He will argue that the refusal was not protected, the board lacked substantial evidence, and the removal defect requires a new hearing. Karla Jackson Edwards represents the Secretary of Labor. She will argue that Corr Flight raised its constitutional challenge too late and that substantial evidence supports the board. Substantial evidence means enough relevant evidence for a reasonable person to accept the agency's conclusion.

Corr Flight S. v. Department of Labor (No. 25-60286) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, argued August 6, 2026.