My daughter was fired after I reported bus route issues... is this retaliation?

Employment Law Forum
1

Hey everyone, looking for advice. My daughter, who has a disability, was working as a bus washer for a few hours a week. I recently raised concerns with the school district about the bus routes—kids were getting dropped off late, and there were issues with communication from the bus manager. After the district set up a meeting with parents, my daughter’s boss fired her, even though they admitted it wasn’t her fault. I feel like this might be retaliation because of my complaints. Can this be considered wrongful termination?

2

That’s awful. Did they actually give a reason for letting her go?

3

Tavi said:
That’s awful. Did they actually give a reason for letting her go?

Not really. They just said it wasn’t working out, but admitted it wasn’t her fault.

4

Tavi said:
That’s awful. Did they actually give a reason for letting her go?

Definitely sounds like retaliation. They can’t just fire someone because they don’t like what you said.

5

Since it happened right after you complained, it’s worth looking into filing a complaint.

6

Luca said:
Since it happened right after you complained, it’s worth looking into filing a complaint.

Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking. I’m just not sure where to start.

7

Luca said:
Since it happened right after you complained, it’s worth looking into filing a complaint.

You could try filing with the EEOC. They handle cases like this.

8

Do you have legal guardianship of your daughter? That might affect how you file.

9

Flint said:
Do you have legal guardianship of your daughter? That might affect how you file.

No, but she just turned 18. I’m hoping I can still assist her with filing.

10

Flint said:
Do you have legal guardianship of your daughter? That might affect how you file.

You should be fine as long as you’re helping her file. Maybe double-check with a lawyer.

11

If it’s a large company, you might have more leverage. How big is the company?

12

Keaton said:
If it’s a large company, you might have more leverage. How big is the company?

Pretty big—they run over 600 buses across different locations.

13

If they have more than 15 employees, the EEOC should be able to handle the case. This seems like clear retaliation.

14

Wynn said:
If they have more than 15 employees, the EEOC should be able to handle the case. This seems like clear retaliation.

Thanks, I’ll go ahead and file. Just wanted to see if others thought it was worth pursuing.