Photo Shows Noose Hanging In Water Department Truck; Alderman Calls For Hearings

By Stephen Gossett in News on Oct 11, 2017 7:33PM

Photo courtesy of Alderman David Moore's office

Still reeling from revelations earlier this year of rampant racism, the Chicago Water Department is again at the center of a new racially charged controversy, and an alderman is demanding answers.

Ald. David Moore (17th) on Wednesday shared the image of a noose that was photographed hanging from a Water Department truck in April. He's now calling for City Council hearings to investigate what he reportedly characterized as the racist culture that pervades through the department.

“It has become clear that we must, as city leaders, create accountability within the water department and address issues of racial discrimination and animus head on," Moore said in a release. "We have a responsibility to root out racism wherever it is found - especially in government. We can’t expect the problem to solve itself."

Moore on Tuesday posted a link to a WGN report about the rope.

In the WGN story, a spokesperson for the Water Department says the rope was actually string that the employee used for "hanging pens while on the road." The person responsible "apologized to his coworkers when he learned that some had taken offense," department spokesperson Megan Vidis told the station. The employee was issued a reprimand, according to the Sun-Times.

“I see a noose that's reminiscent of the South, of the hangings of African-Americans," said Moore, who also said the person responsible should have been fired.

Moore announced his demand for City Council hearings while flanked by former Water Department who reportedly backed up his claims that a racist culture exists in the department beyond isolated incidents.

A report released by the Office of the Inspector General in July found that high-ranking employees in the Water Department had used city email accounts and computers to send racist jokes and images. The report also found that workers had negotiated the personal sales of firearms and cars and shared pornographic images via the accounts and computers.

In June, seven current and former employees of the department filed a lawsuit that alleged black employees were discriminated against, sexually harassed, refused promotions and targeted with racial slurs. Black female employees were regularly called bitches and whores, according to the lawsuit. That suit came in the wake of leadership changes prompted by the release of racist emails. A new commissioner, Randy Conner, who is black, was appointed in May after Barrett Murphy resigned.

“It’s a structure," Moore said on Wednesday, according to the Sun-Times. "It's not about whether you put somebody black at the head. … Sometimes, even black commissioners need assistance."

This post has been updated.