‘Don’t put a cost on life;’ Missouri Central bus employee accuses company of using bad bus parts, racism
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - The NAA St. Louis City chapter is calling for a federal investigation regarding a racist incident at Missouri Central bus company. The organization says an employee experienced a hate crime on the job.
“We do believe the noose was put there as a threat which would constitute it to be a hate crime under federal law and we do intend to federal authorities,” says President Adolphus Pruitt.
A third party has been brought in to investigate the matter. Mechanic Jerry Ellis was interviewed by the independent investigators.
“They questioned me on the of do we use rope in the shop,” says Ellis. “C’mon guys. The shop is full of motor oil. You don’t have a perfectly white rope lying on the floor.”
Ellis tells First Alert 4 the company is also sending buses out with bad brake parts to transport St. Louis Public School students.
“Don’t put a cost on life,” says Ellis. That’s been my fear every day.”
“This guy was going to send a defective bus out on the streets. That individual that tried to hide or dispose of the spindle is still working in the same capacity at the Missouri Central maintenance facility,” Pruitt says.
“I want to be able to lay down at night and know that I did my job right and I don’t have to worry about a bus tipping over,” says Ellis.
On Tuesday, a spokesman for the bus company denied those allegations and said safety protocols are a top priority.
“We transport kids, we have employees on these buses. Absolutely, we take safety very seriously. Busses are inspected every day by drivers,” says Scott Allen with Missouri Central.
St. Louis Public Schools released the following statement to First Alert 4:
“The safety of our students is the number one priority of Saint Louis Public Schools, and we expect our vendors to share this priority. We have contracted with Missouri Central to provide transportation services for our students, and we are adamant about their responsibility to ensure every child placed in their care is safe and secure at all times. Anything less than this standard is unacceptable. While we do not have control over operations or personnel matters at Missouri Central, it is our hope that the internal conflict and what appears to be serious issues in their workplace environment can be resolved. SLPS remains hopeful that all parties can come together in good faith and stay focused on our shared commitment to serve the children of the City of St. Louis. The well-being of our students is not negotiable, and they should never be affected by disagreements or disputes among adults. One of SLPS’ core values is the maintenance of a safe and inclusive workplace for people of all backgrounds and races. We expect the same dedication to this principle from our vendors.”
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