The NAACP of St. Louis is calling for a criminal investigation about the noose found by a black bus mechanic at Missouri Central Bus Company. They did their own investigation into the incident and found significant issues impacting the safety of the buses and a culture of racial indifference.
"We do believe that the noose was put there as threat, said NAACP St. Louis President Adolphus Pruitt. "Which would constitute it as a hate crime under federal law. We do intend to contact federal authorities to ask them to take a serious look at that."
Missouri Central is contracted with St. Louis Public Schools who had to close a day last week after bus staff walked off the job in protest against the noose incident.
Jerry Ellis, a black retired airline mechanic from Webster Groves, says he was recruited to work at Missouri Central Bus Company to help fix buses on a list of those that are broken down. Ellis says some of his superiors were unhappy that he would not cut corners. Shortly after, his co-worker found the noose.
"If you put that much hate, and time, and effort into making a noose," said Ellis, "then I feel you are putting that much time and effort into making sure that these buses are not safe."
Ellis feels he was mistreated after he confronted management about his concerns for making the buses safer and because he is black.
"Here comes an African-American man to work," said Ellis, "and he sees the problem and says, 'hey, you guys ain't doing something right,' so he takes that list and he tackles that list and he brings that list down. In the midst of bringing that list down, then you're a target. You are constantly harassed. You are constantly being told to do something that is not safe."
"If some of these guys worked on it and its some of the buses I've seen, excuse my french, but hell no," Ellis said when asked if parents of St. Louis Public Schools should put their children on a Missouri Central Bus.
Missouri Central Bus Company sent a statement to KMOX but did not respond to the "culture of racial indifference" claimed by the NAACP.
"Missouri Central is in compliance with the State of Missouri regarding bus inspections," said Scott Allen, Regional Operations Manager at Missouri Central Bus Company. "Our qualified team of maintenance professionals inspect SLPS buses, and any problems we identify are addressed."