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A federal lawsuit alleges that a 56-year-old Black bus driver at an ultra-Orthodox Jewish school in New York City endured racial taunts such as “monkey” and “blackie” while on the job last year, according to Newsweek.

Now, Willis Baker, who worked at the United Talmudical Academy of Boro Park Inc. from July to December 2014, is seeking about $2 million in damages in the federal suit filed recently in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, the report says. The suit claims discrimination, wage theft, and wrongful termination.

Baker was hired by Yanke Schaefer, who called Baker his “monkey friend” in front of him and other people, writes the news outlet.

Via Newsweek:

While Baker, 56, drove the bus, students would call him “monkey,” “blackie” and “stupid,” the suit states, and they would hurl “candy, spit balls, paper and solid hard objects.” But no teachers on the bus would step in to stop them.

Baker is suing United Talmudical Academy and Schaefer for $2 million, among other forms of relief, says Alexander M. Dudelson, Baker’s lawyer, confirming the lawsuit’s demands….

Baker’s employer also told him to clean and service buses that were driven by non-African-American drivers—and he was the only employee ordered to do so and didn’t get additional pay for the extra work, the suit claims.

Schaefer denies all of the suit’s allegations.

SOURCE: Newsweek | PHOTO CREDIT: Twitter

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Black Bus Driver Called “Monkey” & “Blackie” By Students At NYC Jewish School  was originally published on newsone.com