A paper towel noose was discovered in the restroom of a Panera restaurant in Michigan, prompting the opening of a hate crime inquiry.
The paper towels were referred to as a hate crime by the mayor of Grosse Pointe, where the suspected noose was discovered.
“This is a hate crime that is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our community. The noose, which is a symbol of human oppression and violence, has no place here. Any attempts at racial intimidation will be dealt with to the full extent of the law.,” said Sheila Tomkowiak, mayor of Grosse Pointe, in a statement.
According to Kareema Regular, the restaurant’s associate general manager, the majority of the personnel is black.
There is no getting around the fact that that wasn’t meant for them, he claimed, because Black people make up 90% of the workforce there.
One of their team managers entered the men’s washroom and found this paper towel noose hanging in the stall.
The incident was reported to the police, who are looking into it as a possible hate crime.
Before the discovery, a group of teens could be seen entering the restroom on surveillance footage that was later retrieved.
A former employee of Oriental Trading in Nebraska was given a four-month prison term last month for placing a twine noose on a floor scrubber.
Bruce Quinn allegedly left the noose on the tools knowing a black employee would use them, according to the prosecution.
Quinn will serve four months in jail in addition to a year of supervised release.
