ST. LOUIS – A Missouri Central Bus Company diesel mechanic says he feels targeted after finding a noose near his workstation after several instances of harassment, allegedly from management.
Amin Mitchell says he is the only African American working in the area where the noose was found.
“Nobody that can tell me that I don’t know what I’m talking about. That wasn’t there when I left, it was there when I got there in the morning,” he said. “I’m not saying my TIC put it there; I feel like I was meant to see it.”
When Mitchell discovered the noose, he immediately took video, he said. It remained there from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. Thursday.
“(It was) a camping rope. One of those thin ropes like someone was making it a joke, making as like, ‘Look what I can make,’” he said. “Whatever the case, it should have not been in that type of environment.”
This is just one instance of racism Mitchell has experienced at work. According to him, the noose was found a day after he was in an argument with his manager, who allegedly said Mitchell was not qualified for his job.
Employees of Missouri Central Bus Company received a letter Friday stating they received notice of racial concerns from an employee and to cooperate with investigators.
FOX 2 reached out to the company, to which they replied, “At Missouri Central, 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. We are hiring an independent third party to investigate these allegations, and we will take whatever action is deemed necessary based on what we learn.”
Mitchell said he just wants to work in an environment with equality for all and for human resources to conduct a thorough investigation.