A former driver for Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus line has dropped her claim for punitive damages in her lawsuit in which she alleges she was fired for complaining about homeless people and other unruly passengers jeopardizing her safety.
Maria Soto’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit originally requested punitive damages and included several passages outlining the alleged “malicious, fraudulent or oppressive” conduct she contended was done with “conscious disregard” for the plaintiff’s rights.
But according to court papers filed Tuesday by Deputy City Attorney Robert Baggs, Soto and her attorneys agreed to drop her punitive damages demand as well as the pertinent paragraphs in her complaint. The agreement was approved and signed by Judge Gary Roberts.
According to Baggs’ court papers, punitive damages cannot be recovered from government entities.
In her lawsuit filed last Aug. 6, Soto, then 62, states that she is a survivor of sexual assault and abuse who has mental health conditions that include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. She was a Big Blue Bus driver for more than a decade.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, driving Big Blue Bus coaches has become more dangerous because of an increased number of riders who verbally and physically assault operators, according to the suit, which further states that many passengers are homeless.
Fares were not charged during the pandemic, but after it subsided many riders still felt entitled to ride for free and became confused, angry and upset about having to pay fares, the suit states.
“Such bus riders typically have taken their frustrations and anger out on bus drivers who attempt to collect the fares,” according to the complaint, which refers to a news article stating that three Santa Monica city bus drivers were assaulted within a week in April 2024.
Because of her history of mental health trauma, Soto has “on occasion attempted to stand tall and defend herself against such attacks,” the suit states.
Soto was disciplined for defending herself during an August 2024 attack on her by a passenger, the suit states. She was terminated May 27, 2025 and contends she lost her job because of her complaints about the attacks against her. Since being terminated, Soto has suffered lost income and benefits as well as further emotional distress, the suit states.
Along with retaliation, the suit alleges disability and medical condition discrimination, failure to prevent discrimination and retaliation and failure to accommodate and engage in the interactive process.