by Joanna (JuJuBe)
Gregory Seabrook, an electrician for almost 20 years with the FDNY found a nasty surprise waiting for him at his work locker last week - a three foot long noose. It seems like some of his racist co-workers were perturbed by a discrimination complaint Seabrook filed in December. And of course, nothing disproves a discrimination complaint like a good ole fashioned noose, right??
"There's an ominous message behind it," lawyer Stephen Jackson said of the nearly 3-foot-long noose, which he plans to display at a press conference today and then hand over to authorities.Source
The noose is "elaborately constructed" and tied in a "monkey knot," Seabrook's lawyers say.
"That was a type of weapon used as a flogging knot to beat slaves," Jackson said. "It's very thick and very hard and it's designed to cause injuries."
Seabrook, who is black, and four other minority electricians filed complaints with the New York State Division of Human Rights, charging the Fire Department overlooks minority electricians for overtime opportunities and promotions.
Four electricians filed complaints in October, while Seabrook filed in December, the lawyers say.
An FDNY spokesperson said he had no knowledge of the noose incident or the discrimination complaints, which he said are kept private while under investigation.
Seriously, what kind of idiots believe that threatening a man with a symbol of their racism is an effective method of getting a discrimination lawsuit dropped? Did they really think that Mr. Seabrook would see the noose and decide that his discrimination complaint was not worth pursuing? After almost twenty years, this man finally decided to speak up and seek compensation for the discrimination he has been experiencing on the job, a move that, despite its correctness, is bound to make him less popular with his co-workers. That shows bravery. So, did these bigots really think they could threaten him into silence?
Of course, as expected, the comments that follow the original article give us a glimpse into the racist mindset of the average American. The accusations that this man planted the noose himself came right on cue. He is called a crybaby. One commenter basically said that people "play around" at work, and that "hijinks occur", as if a noose is just a fun joke. And of course, there were the comments about how Mr. Seabrook "played the race card" by filing his suit against the FDNY. Oh, and the pièce de résistance... one enlightened soul wrote "HE IS LUCKY HE WASN'T IN THE NOOSE !!"
