Lawyers representing a dozen current and former Regional Transit Authority employees in a workplace discrimination lawsuit say the agency’s CEO violated state and federal free speech protections when she instructed staff in an email last week to refrain from speaking to the media.
In an amended lawsuit filed on Monday, the current and former employees argue they’re deserving of additional damages from both RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins and the agency for trampling on constitutionally protected speech.
The filing is the latest turn in a legal battle that exploded into public view on April 10 when current and former RTA employees filed a lawsuit accusing the agency of fostering a hostile workplace rampant with discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wage theft. The filing cited as evidence at least nine audio recordings in which RTA officials allegedly admit to a string of management failures…