Amid demands for the firing of two employees believed to be responsible for tying and hanging a noose in a workstation at City Water, Light and Power, Mayor Tim Davlin said Wednesday that “everything is going exactly the way it’s supposed to.”
CWLP spokeswoman Amber Sabin confirmed to The State Journal-Register Wednesday that the two men allegedly involved in the incident are still working. Davlin wouldn’t talk about whether any disciplinary action has been imposed.
During a city council meeting Wednesday night, Davlin said “there’s an order” to be followed whenever an employee could be disciplined.
“We have an agreement with the unions to do exactly, to follow those orders, line by line,” Davlin said. “If we don’t do it, if we haphazardly … make any decision outside of that, (it) could jeopardize the case. Someone could walk that could be guilty. So we’re going to follow exactly what our union contract says that we do with the union employee when it comes to discipline. …
“I’m telling you that everything is going exactly the way it’s supposed to happen in a situation like this,” Davlin said.
Davlin’s remarks weren’t well received by some people in the crowd that packed the city council chamber.
One man shouted: “We need action now.” Another shouted: “Business as usual, right?”
Before the city council meeting, a crowd of about 150 people of all ages and races rallied outside city hall, denouncing racism and making it clear how they felt: A noose isn’t a prank or a joke — it’s a hate crime.
The rally was prompted by the recent discovery of a noose found hanging in an employee workstation shared by both white and black employees at City Water, Light and Power’s water plant. CWLP employee Mike Williams said he believes he was the intended target of the noose, which is thought to have been hanging in the work area for a couple of days.
The rally was held as the Sangamon County state’s attorney’s office is reviewing what type, if any, criminal charges will be filed in the case. It also was held on the eve of the unveiling of a sculpture commemorating the 1908 Springfield race riot, scheduled for 10 a.m. today at Union Square Park.
Those at the rally chanted: “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” Signs read: “Not in 2009. No way,” “Why can’t we all just get along” and “Racism is a sickness.”
“No way. No time. No how is that behavior acceptable in any workplace,” Springfield resident Amy Green shouted through a bullhorn. “No one – black, white, Asian, male, female, gay, straight — should have to put up with that kind of behavior in the workplace. It is not acceptable.”
Davlin, corporation counsel Jenifer Johnson, and Alds. Gail Simpson, Mark Mahoney and Frank Lesko were spotted in the crowd. CWLP general manager Todd Renfrow didn’t attend.
Nicholas Stojakovich, chairman of the Springfield Community Relations Commission, was among the rally’s speakers. He decried the noose as a “horrible symbol.”
“One of the biggest concerns is systemic racism,” he said, adding that some city departments have too few minority and female employees.
Many rally participants joined the crowd at the city council meeting.
Williams told the council that CWLP completed its investigation without interviewing him. He also said other CWLP employees have told him they’ve had similar experiences.
“So, I beg of you, as this ground starts to shake and the rumble is coming, to please don’t just ignore this, don’t sweep this under the rug,” Williams urged the council. “Adopt a no-tolerance policy immediately that says if you are caught or if you admit jokingly, unintentionally or whatever it may be that you committed such acts, that you will be terminated immediately.”
Archie Lawrence, president of Springfield chapter of NAACP, called hanging a noose “the ultimate insult.”
“The only thing that’s worse than hanging a noose is hanging itself,” he said, adding that he finds it impossible “to believe that anyone would hang a noose did not have the intent to send a message that black people are not welcome in this town, that black people did not deserve to perform their job without any type of threat or intimidation.”
Ward 7 Ald. Debbie Cimarossa said she was outraged by the incident.
“I cannot think of any business reason that someone would hang a noose in someone’s work site,” she said. “And I want something done about this. I am totally embarrassed.
“Mr. Williams, I apologize from myself,” Cimarossa said. “I think we really need to take a good look at this and move forward as a city needs to do.”
Deana Poole can be reached at 788-1533. Bernard Schoenburg can be reached at 788-1540.
Where the case stands
Mike Williams, an assistant water works operator, found a noose in the workstation he shares with others at City Water, Light and Power’s water plant on July 26.
Williams has been interviewed by the Springfield Police Department and the FBI. Police have completed their investigation and turned the results over to the state’s attorney’s office.
Police have said they believe two white men are responsible — one who allegedly tied the rope, and another man on a different shift who allegedly hung it up. Their names have not been disclosed. Authorities have not released the police report or the results of CWLP’s internal investigation.
Police have labeled the case disorderly conduct, but said it could be considered a hate crime, if that was the motivation behind the incident.
Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Schmidt said Wednesday his office is still reviewing the case to determine what, if any, charges will be filed. It’s unclear how long that process will take.
City Water, Light and Power also conducted its own internal investigation, which was completed last week. CWLP says no decisions have been made based on that investigation.
THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
Posted Aug 05, 2009 @ 06:09 PM
Posted Aug 05, 2009 @ 06:09 PM
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