Originally Posted by
spin88
I'm not saying the FA did not hear it differently, or take a different meaning, but I see nothing that actually suggests a threat to harm "someone" which would - had it been made - have been more than a little different.
At this point, we only have the mother stating her recollection of what she said. Absent a recording from the time, we can only speculate what was actually said, what was heard, and how it was interpreted.
To my mind, all the FA has to demonstrate is that based on his/her perception, the decision to go to the captain was reasonable, whether that decision was prompted by was concern for others in the cabin or concern for the child.
The FA does not have to prove that it was the same decision that another person would make, just that it isn't so out in left field that the only conclusion you can draw is vindictive behavior. The captain again only has to prove that the decision from their perspective was reasonable based on what was reported.