Flight attendant calls job termination unfair after her video of herself twerking at work goes viral

An Alaska Airlines flight attendant spoke out after being fired over a viral twerk video, calling the decision unfair and unnecessary.

An Alaska Airlines flight attendant named Nelle Diala recently lost her job after a video of her twerking went viral. This incident sparked discussions about workplace behavior and social media policies.

Flight attendant filmed a twerk video on an airplane
Nelle Diala filmed herself dancing on an empty plane. She was waiting for the captain and decided to twerk to boost her mood. The video was shared on TikTok, where it quickly gained attention. In it, she expressed her excitement about finishing her probation period at the airline. However, this joyful moment turned into a major issue.

Flight attendant calls job termination unfair after her video of herself twerking at work goes viral
After the video became popular, Alaska Airlines fired Diala. She described the firing as “unfair” and even “discriminatory.”

In an interview, she shared her feelings about the situation. Diala said, “I didn’t think that being so happy could turn into something like this.”

She felt proud of her work and was disappointed to lose her job so suddenly.

“I just decided to take advantage of the moment to wake myself and get myself hyped up for my day.”

Alaska Airlines enforces strict social media usage policies.
Alaska Airlines has strict rules about social media use. They expect all employees to follow these guidelines.

A spokesperson for the airline stated, “We hold all flight attendants to high standards for conduct and guest care.”

They explained that all new employees go through a probation period, which includes adherence to company policies. Diala, however, believed her actions were not inappropriate. She thought her dance was harmless fun and a way to celebrate her achievements.

Diala claimed that discrimination influenced her firing.
In her statements, Diala claimed that her firing was influenced by her background. She argued that the company did not support diversity as it should.

Diala pointed out that her dance style was connected to her urban culture. She felt that the airline embraced diverse cultures but did not support her as a minority employee.

“I was really proud of myself that I came so far,” Diala recalled.

“I put on a proud face every time I stepped on that plane and for them to terminate me without giving me a chance, it just was unfair,” lamented Diala in the Inside Edition clip.

“So, of course, the company would like to embrace ‘all cultures’ but leave the minority girl from the ghetto OUT,” she declared.

The flight attendant created a GoFundMe to support herself financially.
To help herself during this tough time, Diala set up a GoFundMe page. She aimed to raise funds to support herself while searching for a new job as a flight attendant. The campaign was successful, raising over $3,000. This support showed how many people rallied behind her after the incident.

Support from the public
After the incident, Diala received a lot of support from her fans. Many people sympathized with her situation and believed she was treated unfairly.

Following her firing, Diala shared the twerking video again, expressing frustration about not being able to be herself without backlash.

“Can’t even be yourself anymore, without the world being so sensitive. What’s wrong with a little twerk before work, people act like they never did that before.”

The video has now been set to private, and she used the hashtag #discriminationisreal to emphasize her feelings about the situation.

Social media reactions

• One user said: How dare they fire her for twerking on the plane in her uniform. It’s such a classy thing to do and the airline should be so proud to have employees like this with such good judgment.
• The second user added: She was on a plane, the premises of your employer. Twerking on a plane while on layover or whatever means you are doing it on their property, without their permission and posting it for all the world to see, without their permission.
• Twerking is not in her job description. Besides twerking, she also put her boot on the seat arm. Clearly, a violation of a work rule. She deserved to get canned.
• The third user commented: She doesn’t seem to understand that she is responsible for the passengers in case of emergency.

She might have been happy, but that lack of professionalism highlights her judgment might not be the best.

• The fourth user wrote: It’s called standards! You are representing the company. Good for them.
• Another user said: Very professional. Another case for meritocracy.