A video published online shows a Massachusetts bus driver telling a commuter he did not stop for him because he is black. The driver has since been fired.
The Vineyard Transit Authority (VTA) of Martha’s Vineyard had not released the name of the driver involved in the July incident but had previously confirmed that he had been fired.
“We were all taken aback by that type of action, that any person would speak that way to anybody in the public,” said VTA administrator Angela Grant to the Vineyard Gazette.
In the video, the bus driver can be seen driving past a man standing on the side of the road, who was later identified as 35-year-old Kevin Brooks, who is black.
Later in the video, Mr Brooks can be seen asking the bus driver, from outside the vehicle, why he did not previously stop for him. The driver first offered that he did not stop because the bus was full. He then followed up saying: “Well, it’s because you’re black”.
The Independent has reached out to the Vineyard Transit Authority for comment amid the video’s release.
“You’re trying to be funny,” Mr Brooks said in response as the pair exchanged a few more words.
He then claimed the driver had stopped for another commuter shortly after passing him by, but the driver continued to insist that he not stop for Mr Brooks because the bus was full.
In an interview with CBS, Mr Brooks said he walked away from the exchange teary-eyed, and has decided to speak out to set an example for his daughter.
He said he hopes his experience will give her the courage “to stand up for herself” should she encounter any injustices. Mr Brooks does not live on the Vineyard, but works there as a barber and relies on public transportation.
In a statement released a day after the incident, VTA said the bus was at capacity but the driver “failed to switch the destination marquee to read ‘Bus at Capacity’”.
The company noted it had reviewed the on-board video footage and said VTA and their operating company, Transit Connection, Inc, have “a zero tolerance policy for this type of behaviour”.
