Police in Houston revealed Southwest Airlines employees discovered what was believed to be a noose at William P. Hobby Airport in July.
According to the Houston Chronicle, the discovery by police came months before a lawsuit was filed in September by a former employee named Jamel Parker who accused Southwest of racial discrimination and hostility after finding a noose made of bungee cords.
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Parker also claims the airline had a whites-only break room at Hobby airport.
Houston police said they were called to the facility in July after a noose was discovered by employees, but officers did not identify suspects or make an arrest, as there were reportedly no cameras in the area.
“Southwest takes such matters seriously, and leadership immediately tried to locate the object and identify any person who might have been involved,” a Southwest spokesperson told the Houston Chronicle. “In addition, Houston police were also notified. Unfortunately, neither Southwest nor the police were able to locate the object or identify any person involved.”
Parker also claims he has fired in April 2017 for causing damage to a power cable with a pushback vehicle and not reporting it, an offense he felt a white employee would not have been dismissed over.
“There is a clearly a racial issue at Southwest and they are not concerned about protecting its black employees from harassment and discrimination,” Parker told the Houston Chronicle. “Southwest should be held accountable.”
Court document show Southwest denies all claims of a racial discrimination.