A group of Missouri bus drivers organized a rally after one of their colleagues found a noose at his workstation.
The walkout caused disruption for St. Louis Public Schools earlier this week. The district had to cancel activities and struggled to find transportation for students following the demonstration by the Missouri Central Bus Company.
“As you may have heard, there has been internal strife at Missouri Central over the last several days that has a racial component,” the district said in a statement to parents on Monday, Feb. 26, according to local television news station KSDK.
“This alarming situation has now spilled over into Missouri Central’s work for SLPS. Several drivers called in sick today, apparently in protest of the company’s handling of the issue. This led to about a quarter of our bus routes being uncovered this morning.”
Amin Mitchell, one of the few Black mechanics at the company, said that he saw the rope after he made a complaint to human resources. His co-worker emphasized that it’s the latest instance of racial discrimination and intimidation in the workplace, per the news outlet.
“Nobody came up to me to apologize about finding a noose,” Mitchell told KSDK. “Nobody came to me to see how hurt I am or to see how traumatized or how much pain I’m in.”
During an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Mitchell said the conflict arose when his boss asked him to make quick fixes to the brakes on the buses to pass an inspection. This was concerning for Mitchell, who believed that some of the brakes needed to be replaced. He even offered to go “the extra mile” to ensure safety.
The newspaper reported that an argument erupted between Mitchell and his supervisor, resulting in him going to the corporate office. He found the noose last Thursday. About 100 bus drivers reportedly called in sick on Monday to stand in solidarity with Mitchell.
Missouri Central’s bus regional operations manager, Scott Allen, said the company will hire an independent third party to probe the allegations, per KSDK.
“Our policy is to provide and foster a work environment that is welcoming to all regardless of age, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. There is zero tolerance for any behavior that violates this policy,” Allen said. “We are working diligently to minimize service disruptions for our students, families, and administrators as we understand how important it is for our children to be educated.”
There were mixed reactions from the community about the strike in the district’s Facebook page comments. Some people said they stood by the drivers’ decision to protest, while others called for officials to cut ties with the company due to the abrupt cancellations.
One person commented: “This is why families are leaving the district. I understand it’s a Missouri Central issue but canceling after school programs puts a huge burden on families.”
“It’s time to bring transportation back in-house. It’s obvious that privatization does not work!!” another person wrote.
