Employees have a right to report harassment against them without facing fear of retaliation. Unfortunately, not all employers follow the law. A former bus driver in Fort Worth says that's what happened in her situation. Now she's suing her ex-supervisor and the transit company for harassment and retaliation.

The woman worked as a T bus driver for McDonald Transit for about four years, according to the Star-Telegram. She says her supervisor subjected her to unwanted sexual advances in 2009 and 2010. She claims that when she reported the harassment, she was fired.

The woman says her retaliation and termination may also have been related to comments she made after another bus driver working for the transit company was involved in an accident.

That incident involved a bus driver colliding with a pedestrian. Police apparently determined that the pedestrian entered a crosswalk on a don't-walk sign, and the bus proceeded through a green light.

After the accident, the woman apparently mentioned it to other employees, saying she believed the bus driver was at fault. She says she was called into her supervisor's office and told not to speak of the accident. She claims this violated her free speech rights.

The woman initially filed the lawsuit in Tarrant County District Court in Texas. However, the case was reportedly transferred later to a federal district court when labor law issues arose relating to the drivers' union contract with the transit company.

The transit company disputes the ex-employee's allegations.

Source: Star-Telegram, "Former Fort Worth bus driver files sexual harassment suit," Gordon Dickson, Sept. 8, 2011