Bus drivers ‘sick out’ to support worker who found noose
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ST. LOUIS — Students in the St. Louis Public School District could find themselves without a ride to school Tuesday morning. Nearly 100 bus drivers called in sick Monday and the district thinks it could happen again Tuesday.
The walkout happened in support of a mechanic with the Missouri Central Bus Company. Amin Mitchell alleges he found a noose outside his workstation following a disagreement with his white manager. Mitchell says he found the noose last week. He expressed his shock to FOX 2 and says he feels targeted as the only African American working in the mechanic’s area.
At this point, it’s unclear how the noose ended up there or who put it there. About 100 bus drivers called in sick on Monday. St. Louis Public Schools says it impacted about a quarter of the bus routes and forced the district to cancel most after-school activities.
Several of Mitchell’s colleagues made claims of an unsafe and hostile work environment and Mitchell hopes the walkout will help resolve those claims.
“The are here supporting me by standing behind me knowing that this can’t be something that swept under the rug, which was told to be to keep it hush,” Nitchell explained.
Meanwhile, SLPS is preparing for the possibility of another walkout on Tuesday.
A message to parents on the website says after-care at schools will run as normal but athletics will be handled on a school-by-school basis and parents should call the school’s athletic director. The message adds, “Regarding bus service to and from school, we are simply unable to predict what will happen. With that being said, we encourage families to look into alternate plans for getting their students to and from school. While we certainly hope the buses will roll as normal, we are unable to guarantee it right now.”
The Missouri Central Bus Company has responded to the sick-out with a statement, indicating their intention to investigate the allegations thoroughly. They’ve announced plans to hire an independent third party to conduct an investigation and have pledged to take appropriate action based on the findings.
