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An attorney took legal action against an upstate New York airport after it declined a small advertisement from her firm specializing in sexual harassment cases. Today, she boasts a prominent display at the location.
Last summer, Megan Thomas entered into an agreement to place an ad at Syracuse Hancock International Airport. Her intended message was: “When HR called it harmless flirting … we called it exhibit A.” The airport, however, requested her to tone down what they considered “harsh” language.
Rather than comply, Thomas opted to pursue a lawsuit. Ultimately, her ad was installed with the original wording intact — on a much grander scale than she initially envisioned.
Currently, two entire walls at the airport are adorned with the striking pink ad, featuring a large photograph of Thomas herself, as first reported by Syracuse.com.
Reflecting on the events, Thomas stated, “When the airport claimed that the First Amendment didn’t apply and that they could impose their preferences, it became clear I needed to take legal action. Winning this case was not just about my rights, but also about safeguarding the rights of other women who may follow.”
Thomas said she intentionally chose to advertise at the airport because many of her clients have reported being sexually harassed on work trips. She also wanted it to be placed in a prominent area.
In her federal lawsuit filed in August, Thomas said the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority, which operates the airport, approved a draft version of her ad. But the following day, she said, the authority told her the ad was not approved and that the slogan was “considered to be a bit harsh.”
During a follow-up call, Thomas said she was told the airport authority’s leadership believed the proposed ad might be viewed as “threatening” or “intimidating” to men. And the following day, an official said the ad would not be displayed due to concerns about negative feedback from community members and that local politicians might find it offensive, according to her suit.
In court documents, lawyers for the SRAA said the authority offered alternate slogans “that conveyed a similar message in a more professional and less misleading and disparaging manner.”
A judge disagreed with their assessment of the tagline, saying in a preliminary decision in January that the authority’s claim was “nonsense.”
Judge Anthony Brindisi said Thomas’ slogan was no more misleading than a Chick-fil-A ad at the airport featuring a cow and the phrase “Chikin 4 Din Makez U Grin” suggested “that chicken dinners will always make a person happy, or that cows can speak.”
The two sides reached a confidential settlement shortly after the judge’s ruling. The new, larger ad went up a few weeks ago.
Thomas — who also has another, smaller ad in the airport — says calls to her Syracuse-based firm have been “way up” since the sign went up, noting that she has hired another attorney and plans to hire another office staffer to assist her.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the SRAA called the judge’s decision “unfortunate” but said the settlement “permits both parties to return focus to their core corporate purposes while preserving the authority’s ability to manage and operate the airport.”