School bus drivers protest when Black coworker says he found noose at MO work station
School bus drivers in Missouri have staged a walkout after a Black coworker says he found a noose at his work station.
The protest, which began Monday, Feb. 26, was initiated following the harrowing discovery by Amin Mitchell.
Mitchell, a diesel mechanic at Missouri Central Bus Company, shared video Feb. 22 of his work station, which included a makeshift noose on the ground. Mitchell, who is Black, believes it was left there with a racist intent.
“These type of gestures or props are just a message to what’s to come,” Mitchell told KSDK.
The appearance of the noose came shortly after Mitchell was involved in a disagreement with a supervisor, he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
He said in his Facebook post he has made repeated prejudice complaints to both of his supervisors.
Mitchell believes the noose was placed at his work station as “a racist stunt used to intimidate him after he raised safety concerns at the company,” the Post-Dispatch reported.
It led to a staged walkout among drivers with the school bus company, according to St. Louis Public Schools. All after-school activities were canceled Monday except for state playoff games, the school district said.
There were nearly 70 routes impacted by Monday’s protest, KMOV reported. More than 50 routes were not running Tuesday morning as the walkout continued.
“At this point, Missouri Central has not been able to give any indication if or when their issues might be solved,” the school district said Tuesday. “Unfortunately, that leaves us looking for ways to make the best of a bad situation.”
In a statement to KTVI, Missouri Central said it is investigating Mitchell’s allegations and will take appropriate action based on its findings.
It’s unclear how long the walkout will continue.
“(My coworkers) are here supporting me by standing behind me, knowing that this can’t be something that is swept under the rug,” Mitchell told KTVI.
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