BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority was ordered to pay a $4.6 million judgment regarding a 2018 lawsuit Tuesday.

The lawsuit, filed by a former employee and a former board chair of BJCTA, centered on competitive bidding for the Birmingham Rapid Transit Project.

The court ruled that BJCTA knowingly presented a false claim for payment to the Federal Transit Authority in 2018.

Charlotte Shaw, CEO of BJCTA, was shocked by the ruling but assures the public that employees and riders will not be affected.

“Of course, it’s a little higher than we anticipated but that just means we may shift some of our initiatives around, but I assure you this will not impact our employees or riders,” Shaw said.

In terms of how the judgment will be paid, Shaw plans on delaying the initiative to free up money to satisfy the judgment.