A Black 21-year-old former bus driver is suing the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, alleging she was forced to resign earlier this year in frustration over being sexually harassed by a Latino trainer who was more than twice her age and called her “chocolate cutie.”
Jorden Carter’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit alleges gender discrimination and harassment, sexual harassment, retaliation, failure to prevent discrimination, harassment and retaliation, negligent hiring supervision and retention, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violations of the state Labor Code. Carter seeks unspecified damages as well as punitive damages against the trainer.
Metro issued a statement Tuesday regarding the lawsuit.
“Metro believes all employees deserve a safe and supportive work environment and takes allegations of behavior that violates that principle seriously,” the statement read. “As litigation is pending, Metro has no further comment.”
According to the suit, Carter was hired as a bus driver last July 22 and began training in downtown Los Angeles that lasted two months. Her trainer was a Latino male in his 50s, and she was initially happy to be working with him because he was a veteran well-known in the company, the suit states.
But from the very first day, Carter felt something “very wrong and predatory” about the trainer’s behavior, the suit filed July 9 alleges. Spending most of her time alone with the trainer because her route had few passengers and ended at 11 p.m., Carter was subjected to inappropriate comments that made her uncomfortable and fearful for her safety, the suit further states.
The trainer told Carter he liked Black women just like he enjoyed black coffee, and that he “loved” her skin complexion while also calling her “chocolate cutie,” the suit states.
The trainer also bought Carter food and snacks at gas stations, making her believe he was grooming her for something more than he was letting on, and he additionally took multiple photos of her and said they were for the Metro newsletter, the suit states.
On another occasion, the trainer suggested she take off her vest so he could better see her chest, the suit states.
“Carter felt disgusted, horrified and scared for her safety,” the suit states. “Her body immediately went into fight-or-flight mode, fearing that Martinez might sexually assault her. She felt trapped and completely alone, uncertain of what to do or how to protect herself.”
Carter finally mustered the courage to report the trainer’s alleged misconduct to management, but despite promises of an investigation, none was opened and the plaintiff was inestead punished with 12-hour shifts without layover breaks, the suit states.
The exhaustion from the shifts was so severe that Carter slept at the division multiple times, the suit states. After months of failed communication regarding her complaints and being assigned grueling shifts, Carter — feeling defeated and hopeless — resigned on Feb. 6, the suit states.
Carter has suffered lost income and benefits and also experienced severe motional distress since her forced resignation, the suit alleges.