![]() “She had a right not to be subjected to this kind of behavior, regardless of what may have motivated it or prompted it,” the prosecutor said. Haak was charged in April with intentionally committing a lewd, indecent or obscene act in a public place, a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of 90 days in jail. ![]() He was charged in Maryland because it was one of the states that the aircraft passed over that day.įederal prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence of probation without requiring Haak to register as a sex offender. The judge wasn't bound by that recommendation. Haak, a resident of Longwood, Florida, was a Southwest Airlines pilot for 27 years until his retirement. His last flight for the Dallas-based airline was on Aug. 31, 2020, three weeks after the incident that led to the criminal charge. Southwest spokesperson Chris Mainz said in a statement that the airline “does not tolerate behavior of this nature and will take prompt action if such conduct is substantiated.” Southwest only learned of Haak's behavior after he voluntarily left the airline, according to Mainz. “Nonetheless, Southwest did investigate the matter and as a result, ceased paying Mr. Haak any benefits he was entitled to receive as a result of his separation from (the airline),” Mainz said.ĭefense attorney Michael Salnick said Haak had a sterling career as a commercial pilot and received numerous accolades and supportive letters from passengers and colleagues, including one from Southwest chairman and CEO Gary Kelly on the day of Haak's retirement. ![]() “We are blessed that Southwest has been your home for so many years," Kelly wrote. Haak accepts responsibility for his conduct and "offers no excuses,” his lawyer said in a court filing. “What began as a consensual prank at the encouragement of Mr. Salnick argued that Haak deserves a lenient sentence given his “lifetime of hard work and kindness.” “He is sorry and remorseful for his actions.” Haak's co-pilot has certainly grown into something Michael Haak never anticipated,” Salnick wrote. “The embarrassment and resulting publicity of this incident has in and of itself been humbling to Michael Haak and has served as punishment in many ways,” he wrote.
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