FedEx "saddened and outraged" after driver reports racist abuse
FedEx said Tuesday it is "saddened and outraged" after one of the delivery company's employees reported a racial incident in an emotional video posted on social media. The employee, Brandon Brackins, said he was almost hit by a driver who spit on him and called him a racial epithet.
"As I'm getting the package out of the back of the truck, some [expletive] hick speeds around me, damn near hits me, calls me a [racial epithet] and spits on me," Brackins said in the video. "Why so much hate? Why? Why?"
What happened to #BrandonBrackins is completely unacceptable!! Experiencing acts of racism is emotionally, mentally, and even physically traumatizing. Mr. Brackins, thank you for sharing this. We are with you, standing against the evils of RACISM, INEQUALITY, & DISCRIMINATION ✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/tM6butrbWy
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) June 16, 2020
FedEx said it verified that a police report was filed and that law enforcement is investigating the incident, the company told CBS MoneyWatch. The incident happened on June 10 in Lisbon, Ohio, according to the local newspaper The Morning Journal, which added that police declined to offer specifics about the investigation.
Brackins did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The incident comes after protests spread across the country in support of racial equality in the aftermath of George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.
"We are both saddened and outraged by what our team member experienced and describes in this video," FedEx said in a statement. "This type of behavior has no place in society, and our first concern is for our team member. We are staying connected with him and offering our support."
The incident also comes amid growing public support for the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as demands for police reform and a reexamination of the racism that exists across American society. In Mississippi, for example, there's a push to remove the Confederate battle emblem — long decried as a symbol of racism and violence — from the official flag of the state.
Some of the country's biggest companies, such as Nike and Microsoft, are pledging solidarity with their black employees as well as the broader African American community, although they have also been criticized for a lack of diversity in their executive ranks.
In response to Brackins's video, FedEx said its workforce "is as diverse as the world we serve, and we believe that everyone deserves respect."