Published Jul 15, 2026, 2:39 PM EDT
A U.S. Army National Guard pilot has sued United Airlines, alleging the carrier failed to follow federal USERRA and FMLA laws.
A U.S. Army National Guard pilot has sued United Airlines for allegedly violating his federal rights as a service member after he was denied legally protected family leave and disenfranchised from promotional opportunities and accrued retirement benefits. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Illinois, claims that United violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as it pertains to Nathan Rogers, a warrant officer in the Army National Guard and a United Airlines employee since 2022. He remains a United employee, working as an aircraft technician. USERRA federally allows by law the protection of jobs and benefits of individuals who leave civilian employment to serve in the military, ensuring they can return to their employment without penalty. The FMLA is a federal law that allows eligible employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave for certain family and medical reasons while keeping their health insurance coverage. "On USERRA, the burden is on the employer to show compliance with the statute because the directive is to incur military service," Sean Timmons, an attorney at Tulley Rinckey, told Military.com. "So once the claim is made, they have to show they complied with the law—not the other way around."
