Oct 30, 2007 5:41 am US/Eastern
Nooses Found Inside 2 NYC Parks Employees' Lockers
EXCLUSIVE: 10-Inch Nooses Wrapped Around Necks Of Uniforms
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Nooses were found hanging in the lockers belonging to two black New York City Parks Department supervisors' lockers, and now the appalled employees are speaking out exclusively to CBS 2.
"I went to my locker, I opened it up, and my mouth was open," said Michelle Rouse, one of the two city employees targeted in the alleged hate crime.
Rouse was devastated when she came face to face with a symbol of racial hatred. The Parks Department supervisor tells CBS 2 she opened her locker during the weekend and found a 10-inch noose yellow tied around the neck of her uniform.
She wasn't the only target. Kenneth Clark, a fellow colleague who is also African American found the same sized noose in his locker.
"For someone to have that kind of hatred is just beyond me, especilly at a workplace where we come to do our jobs and not to be looked upon as different. It really tears me up," Clark said.
The discovery was made early Saturday. Only employees have access to the lockers.
The NYPD was called and is treated the case as a hate crime.
The Parks Department issued a statement regarding the case:
"This targeting of individuals with symbols of hate will not be tolerated. This crime is being investigated by the NYPD, and we have also asked the Department of Investigation to take appropriate actions."
Both of the employees in the case have retained attorney Joseph Tacopina, who says the city should be taking more involvement in the investigation.
"The city has to stand up and take responsibility for what happens on their watch," he said. "We need to get to the bottom of who did this, why they did this, and why this is even allowed to happen in the city of New York, by city of New York employees."
Clark is currently a party to a class-action lawsuit against the city that alleges minorities are being passed over for promotions in the Parks Department. That suit was filed several years ago.
In the meantime, both Clark and Rouse are still upset by the finding.
"It cuts like a knife," said Rouse.
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