Shelton Snow, a senior figure in the National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees (NBCFAE), was recorded on voicemail allegedly offering select minority air traffic controller candidates access to test answers for a crucial FAA entry exam, according to an audio recording obtained by DailyMail.com.
In the recording, Snow, an air traffic operations supervisor in New York, is heard telling candidates he would email them a screenshot containing answers to help them pass the assessment. “I am about 99.99 percent sure that it is exactly how you need to answer each question,” he stated.
The alleged cheating assistance was reportedly provided in 2014 during a hiring overhaul by the FAA, aimed at increasing diversity in air traffic control positions. The opportunity was made available exclusively to African American, female, and other minority applicants, while white candidates were reportedly excluded to “minimize competition,” according to internal messages reviewed by the outlet.
It remains unclear how many individuals may have benefited from Snow’s alleged offer. However, Matthew Douglas, a former NBCFAE member, told DailyMail.com that he was aware of multiple people who had used the answers and had since been hired as air traffic controllers.
DEI activist is allegedly caught promising to share exam answers with minority air traffic controller candidates in audio obtained by the Daily Mail.
The Daily Mail says they now have audio of Shelton Snow promising to give test answers for an aviation entry exam.
“There are… pic.twitter.com/nf1CUdntr7
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 12, 2025
The voicemail surfaced as President Donald Trump has pledged to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies from federal agencies, including the FAA. His administration’s renewed focus on hiring standards follows a deadly midair collision at Ronald Reagan National Airport in January that killed 67 people. Trump has attributed the crash, in part, to DEI-influenced hiring practices within the aviation sector.
Snow’s voicemail was recorded weeks after the FAA replaced its longstanding cognitive assessment for air traffic controllers with a “biographical” questionnaire. The new test included questions such as “How would you describe your ideal job?” and “Classmates would remember me as humble or dominant?” Critics argued that the revised assessment disproportionately screened out elite FAA-accredited graduates who had previously excelled on the traditional aptitude-based exams.
When initial failure rates remained high—reportedly at 90 percent—Snow allegedly took additional steps to assist NBCFAE-affiliated applicants. He sent out a list of “HR buzzwords” designed to flag resumes for priority consideration and advised applicants to highlight their connection to the NBCFAE.
A leaked meeting agenda from December 2023 reportedly stated, “This is for us to know who our people are in the case that we have one of our own on the board… We are only concerned about African-Americans, Women (of every ethnic background), and other minorities.”
UNREAL. Shelton Snow, an Air Traffic Operations Supervisor at the FAA and a prominent figure inside the National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees, was allegedly caught on undercover audio explaining how he will help” minority” air traffic controller candidates cheat… pic.twitter.com/u74q3dsg5f
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) March 12, 2025
After the voicemail was made public in a 2015 Fox Business report, the FAA faced growing pressure to investigate. Snow later admitted he had conducted a teleconference guiding applicants on how to answer questions but maintained he had done nothing improper. The Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General ultimately concluded in 2016 that Snow’s actions did not warrant prosecution, allowing him to continue his FAA career.
Congress later passed Public Law 114-190 in 2016, barring the FAA from using the biographical assessment as the initial hiring filter for air traffic controller applicants. However, some candidates who failed the test before the policy change never had the chance to reapply.
Douglas, a Native American who joined the NBCFAE in 2014, declined Snow’s offer of assistance. He told DailyMail.com, “I could have done what a bunch of other people did… but I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.”
Other former candidates, including Air Force veteran Ben Arvi, expressed frustration over the hiring changes. “I think promoting diversity is a good thing,” Arvi said. “But the methodology they went through was flawed beyond recognition.”
Trump signed an executive order in January eliminating DEI-based hiring practices across federal agencies. His administration has stated that hiring in sectors like aviation should be based solely on merit and aptitude. The FAA has not commented on the resurfaced allegations against Snow.
