Bacarra Mauldin, the former deputy chief executive of the Memphis Area Transit Authority, has filed a wrongful-termination lawsuit against the city of Memphis and MATA, arguing she was cut loose while recovering from knee surgery. Her court filing says she was on protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act for that procedure when allegations about agency spending surfaced, and she was later dismissed. She is asking for either reinstatement with back pay and benefits or compensatory damages capped at $1,000,000.
According to Local Memphis, the complaint was filed on April 9 and amended on April 20. The suit names both the city and MATA as defendants and lays out alleged injuries and damages that include back pay, front pay, the value of lost benefits, unpaid PTO, and reputational harm. The filing claims the allegations against Mauldin were never formally adjudicated, were later found to be unsubstantiated, and were raised for political reasons.
MATA Investigation and Board Action
As reported by Action News 5, MATA said an internal investigation concluded that Mauldin "violated the agency’s procurement and travel policy" and failed to ensure that her direct reports followed those rules. The agency’s statement called the findings a "serious breach of the standards and expectations we uphold for all MATA leadership and staff." Mauldin had already been placed on administrative leave, and the MATA board approved her termination on March 27, 2025, following a review by outside consultants.
What the Complaint Alleges
Per Local Memphis, Mauldin says those allegations surfaced while she was on FMLA leave for knee surgery, and that she was fired without a fair chance to respond. The lawsuit lists her claimed losses, including back pay, front pay, lost benefits, unpaid PTO, and emotional and reputational harm, and it asks for either reinstatement or damages of up to $1 million. The complaint also flags MATA's financial figures, saying about $848,000 in fiscal 2024 discretionary spending included roughly $603,000 for a Memphis Grizzlies sponsorship and other non-transit expenses.
Legal Implications
Whether Mauldin’s FMLA and wrongful-termination claims succeed will depend on her eligibility and on the timing and handling of both her medical leave and her firing. The Family and Medical Leave Act gives eligible employees of covered public agencies job-protected leave and bars retaliation for using it, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Employment cases that mix statutory protections with claims for unpaid wages or benefits often crawl through discovery and can be decided on very narrow procedural details.
What Comes Next
The case now moves through the civil courts, where discovery could dig into MATA’s spending decisions and internal personnel moves. Action News 5 previously reported on MATA’s public statement and the consultant review that led to the agency’s action, and public records will show when the city and MATA formally answer the suit. Observers say the filing could trigger fresh scrutiny of how the transit agency is overseen as both sides gear up for what could be a lengthy legal fight.
