The head of the largest chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association has resigned only two days after taking the job. According to Forbes, Neil Swindells quit as chairman of the United Airlines chapter over racist and sexist comments he’s made over the years as one of the most active contributors on the airline’s in-house pilotsforum.com. Swindells owned the controversy, saying, “I have had a spotless record of service to the association and the company for over 27 years, but errors in judgment on a pilot forum may have damaged that reputation,” in his resignation letter to 15,000 chapter members.
Swindells was elected to the post on Monday, even though his reputation on the online forum was well known. He often used vitriol and sexual and racial barbs to punctuate his opinions of others in the union. “There has been a significant negative response to things I posted on a pilot forum,” he said. “While many of these things have been taken completely out of context and publicly weaponized against me, I cannot ignore their existence and the damaging effect it has had on many of my fellow pilots.”
