ST. LOUIS — Problems with a bus contractor for ºüÀêÊÓƵ Public Schools run much deeper than a recent incident involving a noose, a lead mechanic for the contractor and an NAACP leader said Tuesday.
Buses at Missouri Central Bus Company sometimes transport SLPS students even after workers flag them as having faulty brakes, and the company has a history of ignoring a racist culture, said Jerry Ellis, lead mechanic for the company, and Adolphus Pruitt, president of ºüÀêÊÓƵ City NAACP.
“There seems to be a pattern of the bus company not taking safety issues seriously, especially as it relates to the braking systems,†Pruitt said at a news conference Tuesday.
The complaints are the latest blow to the company after another mechanic, Amin Mitchell, said last month that management at Missouri Central, which operates SLPS buses, pressured him to make “band-aid†fixes to a bus’ brake system — and that a noose was placed near his workstation to intimidate him after he spoke out about it.
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Dozens of drivers called out of work for two days to support Mitchell and protest what they said was toxic leadership at Missouri Central.
The NAACP began investigating the company after learning of the noose on Feb. 22. Since then, Pruitt said, several Black employees have detailed instances of racism and intimidation.
“The culture, we believe, is one that is racially charged and dysfunctional,†Pruitt said.
Pruitt said Black women are called derogatory terms at work and that Black employees’ concerns were either not addressed or turned against them.
And he detailed examples of unprofessional conduct by mechanics and supervisors, including putting a hose between their legs and pretending it’s a penis.
Ellis, a longtime mechanic, said he was recruited by Missouri Central and began working there last September. He soon raised concerns about how many of the company’s buses were out of service and how the company approached fixing them, but he said the company had a lackadaisical approach to ensuring safety.
“In the midst of bringing that list down, you’re targeted,†Ellis said. “You’re constantly harassed. You’re constantly being told to do something that is not safe.â€
In a statement last week, Scott Allen, Regional Operations Manager for Missouri Central, said the company was hiring an independent third party to investigate the allegations.
“We are working diligently to minimize service disruptions for our students, families and administrators as we understand how important it is for our children to be educated,†Allen said.
Allen also said the company had “zero tolerance†for behavior that violated its policy to provide a welcoming work environment.
The fallout began when Mitchell, a diesel mechanic, said he noticed a cracked piston on a bus. Pistons are a vital part of braking systems because they help brake pads make contact with brake discs, which ultimately slows the bus, Mitchell explained in a previous interview.
But Mitchell, who is Black, said a white supervisor told him to ignore it and do only what was required for the bus to pass a state inspection later that week.
Mitchell said he found the noose the next day.
“We do believe the noose was placed as a threat,†Pruitt said Tuesday.
Insufficient inspection protocols in Missouri received part of the blame from Pruitt and Ellis on Tuesday, too.
According to a manual posted on the Missouri Highway Patrol website, bus inspectors must be licensed with the state, and the inspection process is extensive. It includes checking brakes, emergency doors, seat belts and more.
But Ellis said the process rarely happens that way.
He said the Highway Patrol checks for only three things during bus inspections — brake fluid leakage, antifreeze levels and oil — and he said the inspectors aren’t trained to recognize other red flags.
“They’re not mechanics, so when they see a cracked rotor, that doesn’t catch their attention,†Ellis said.
Allen, the regional operations manager for Missouri Central, rebuffed this in a statement. He said bus inspections are in compliance with the state, and that a "qualified team of maintenance professionals" inspect SLPS buses in addition to the state's inspectors.
A Highway Patrol spokesperson said Tuesday that school bus inspections are performed by the patrol’s own inspectors, commercial vehicle enforcement officers and commercial vehicle enforcement troopers, all of whom are trained and certified.
The Highway Patrol’s annual report of school bus inspections for 2023 showed that only 50% of the 235 buses it inspected from ºüÀêÊÓƵ Public Schools were rated “approved,†while 36% were deemed defective, and 14% were out of service.
In contrast, a Post-Dispatch analysis of the data shows 95% of buses inspected by the patrol from ºüÀêÊÓƵ County schools and districts were rated “approved.â€
Multiple drivers who spoke to the Post-Dispatch after they called out of work last week said they feared for the safety of both students and drivers while on the job. They said they planned to protest again soon.
In a statement Tuesday, SLPS officials said the well-being of students is “not negotiable.â€
“We have contracted with Missouri Central to provide transportation services for our students, and we are adamant about their responsibility to ensure every child placed in their care is safe and secure at all times,†officials said. “Anything less than this standard is unacceptable.â€
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Public Schools spokesman George Sells said Missouri Central’s services have been normal so far this week.
Yet the district’s daily online bus route update showed 19 routes were not serviced Tuesday due to “driver shortages.â€
When asked if that was normal, Sells said, “Unfortunately, yes.â€
Josh Renaud of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
This story was updated after publication to include additional comment from Missouri Central.