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A school bus company where a noose was found is ending its contract with St. Louis Public Schools

Writer's picture: Victor NwokoVictor Nwoko

A school bus company is ending its contract with St. Louis Public Schools ahead of schedule, leading to the loss of 332 jobs. The strained relationship stemmed from a noose being discovered near the workstation of a Black mechanic, sparking a driver walkout that disrupted bus service for Missouri's large school system.


Missouri Central School Bus Co. informed Mayor Tishaura Jones and the Missouri Office of Workforce Development in a letter dated Tuesday about terminating the contract early, effective June 30 after the current school year. The company's contract was initially set to continue until the 2024-25 school year but had an opt-out clause.


The company stated in its letter, “Unfortunately, and despite good faith efforts by both sides, the parties were unable to negotiate mutually agreeable terms.” Further comments from the company were declined.


The incident leading to the strained relationship occurred when mechanic Amin Mitchell found a noose at his workstation in February. Mitchell believed it was a racist gesture aimed at intimidating him after raising concerns about bus brakes. This led to at least 100 drivers, part of the Laborers' International Union of North America, halting work temporarily, citing "personal issues" due to a contract that prohibits strikes.


While local NAACP leaders called for a hate crime investigation, Missouri Central stated that they were awaiting a final report on the incident. The school district mentioned that the company had not met staffing and punctuality goals for three semesters and requested an additional $2 million despite these shortcomings.


Missouri Central officials also cited irreparable harm to their reputation due to the racism allegations as a reason for terminating the contract. The school district will now seek a new vendor for busing services, hoping to retain many Missouri Central drivers.


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