Lawsuit rules against Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - It’s the end of a lawsuit filed against the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority, and the agency will have to pay.

In 2018, a former employee and former board member filed a lawsuit against BJCTA alleging the agency did not comply with federal grant money regulations. Now, a U.S. district court is siding with former those employees.

The judge ruled that the BJCTA will have to pay just over $4.3M for violating the Brooks Act and False Claims Act.

The whistleblowers will split 25% of that $4.3M. The rest goes to back to the federal government.

The agency’s Executive Director Charlotte Shaw says this will not affect employees or riders. Shaw stepped into her position in 2021. She says her professional background in transportation is to prevent this exact situation from happening.

BJCTA, along with its legal team and advisors, is reviewing the judge’s written opinion. BJCTA’s next steps include the possibility of appealing the judgement. Those former BJCTA leadership employees cited in the case are no longer with the Authority.

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