Delta Air Lines reassigned an Atlanta-based instructor accused of repeatedly touching flight-attendant trainees into a video-production job months after settling a lawsuit with at least one former trainee. The move, along with new accounts from other trainees, has refocused attention on how harassment complaints are handled inside the company’s Atlanta training operation.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, former trainee Aryasp Nejat alleges that instructor Matthew Miller put his hands inside Nejat’s pants during a uniform check at a June 2023 graduation and later reached under Nejat’s vest. Delta has disputed those specific claims, but the paper reports the airline reached a confidential settlement with Nejat in August 2025 and later moved Miller into a position on Delta’s global communications video team.
A filing on Aug. 22, 2025 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, available via CourtListener, shows the parties notified the court that they had resolved “all claims” and expected to file a stipulated dismissal. The document does not spell out any financial terms, but serves as the formal record that the litigation ended without a trial.
Other Trainees Say They Experienced Similar Behavior
At least three other current and former trainees told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Miller also touched them inappropriately during training between 2018 and 2024, and that they took their complaints to human resources. One of them, Mirayah McFarlin, said Miller slid his hand into her shirt during a one-on-one filming session. She told the paper she ultimately left Delta in 2025, frustrated by how her complaint was handled.
Policies On Paper, Different Reality In Practice
Delta’s employee manual, “The Way We Fly,” states that the company “does not tolerate discrimination, harassment, bullying or other forms of intimidation” and highlights an Ethics and Compliance HelpLine that allows workers to report concerns anonymously. The policy pledges protection against retaliation and disciplinary action for anyone who retaliates. According to workers and advocates, those written assurances do not always translate into a process that feels consistent or transparent inside the training center. Delta Air Lines lays out those reporting channels and protections in the guide.
Union Campaign Seizes On Misconduct Concerns
The allegations and the subsequent settlement have become part of the backdrop in a long-running campaign to unionize Delta’s nearly 30,000 flight attendants. Labor organizers argue that a union contract would give flight attendants independent due-process protections and clearer avenues to raise misconduct concerns without fear of career blowback, according to The Guardian.
What The Settlement Actually Does In Court
Legally, the Aug. 22, 2025 notice closes out the active federal case for the time being, without revealing how much money, if any, changed hands. The CourtListener filing shows the parties asked the court to strike existing deadlines while they prepared a stipulated dismissal. That procedural step signals the dispute was resolved outside a trial, rather than through a judge or jury ruling on the underlying claims.
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