SYRACUSE, NEW YORK — Syracuse sexual harassment lawyer Megan Thomas reached a confidential settlement with the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority after suing the authority over its refusal to display her advertisement at Syracuse Hancock International Airport. A large pink advertisement — featuring the original disputed wording and a photo of Thomas — now covers two walls of the airport.

Last summer, Thomas signed a contract for a small advertisement at the airport. The proposed ad read: "When HR called it harmless flirting, we called it exhibit A." The airport authority initially approved a draft version of the advertisement before later withdrawing approval. The day after approving the draft, airport officials told Thomas the slogan was considered to be harsh, and the advertisement would not be displayed, according to her lawsuit.

During a follow-up call, Thomas was told airport leadership believed the proposed ad might be viewed as threatening or intimidating to men, according to her lawsuit. The next day, an official said the ad would not be displayed due to concerns about negative feedback from community members and possible offense to local politicians, according to her lawsuit.

Thomas then filed a federal lawsuit against the authority. "When the airport told me the First Amendment did not apply and that they could do what they liked, I realized I would need to bring a lawsuit," Thomas said. "I understood that if I won this battle, it would protect not only my rights, but also the rights of other women who come after me."

In court documents, lawyers for the authority offered alternate slogans that they said conveyed a similar message in a more professional manner. In a preliminary decision in January, Judge Anthony Brindisi found that Thomas's slogan was no more misleading than a Chick-fil-A advertisement already displayed at the airport featuring the phrase "Chikin 4 Din Makez U Grin." Brindisi said the authority's claim that the slogan was misleading was "nonsense."

The parties reached a confidential settlement shortly after the judge's preliminary decision. The authority called the decision "unfortunate" and 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."

The new, larger advertisement was installed at the airport a few weeks after the settlement. Thomas chose to advertise at the airport because many of her clients reported being sexually harassed on work trips, and she wanted the advertisement placed in a prominent area. Thomas also has another, smaller advertisement at the airport. Since the enlarged advertisement was installed, calls to Thomas's Syracuse-based law firm have increased, and she has hired an additional attorney and plans to hire another office staffer.