Suit: Illinois Central School Bus employee fired for reporting sexual harassment

A woman suing Illinois Central School Bus claims she was sexually harassed on the job, and then fired for reporting the incidents.

Tanya L. Watkins filed the suit against the Joliet-based company in federal court Wednesday. Illinois Central provides busing service for school districts in the state.

Watkins claims her supervisor sexually harassed her and created a “sexually hostile” work environment since she started working for Illinois Central in October 2010. It was not known in what town she was a bus driver.

She claims her supervisor touched Watkins sexually and made “sexually explicit” comments multiple times.

Watkins asked the supervisor to stop, then reported the instances to management and the human resources department before she filed a report with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in June 2012, the suit said.

Despite her pleas, the supervisor didn’t stop and the company did not take “reasonable” steps to stop the harassment, Watkins claims.

The suit then alleges that Watkins was given a poor evaluation and fired in October 2012 — what she believes was retaliation for the complaints she filed.

A spokeswoman for Illinois Central could not immediately comment on the suit.

Watkins said she was treated unfairly because she is a woman in the three-count suit. She is asking for punitive or liquidated damages and compensation for legal fees.