A part-time conductor on Chattanooga’s Incline Railway was fired over remarks he made to passengers during a Fourth of July ride, according to Chattanooga’s Times Free Press.
The Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority, or CARTA, dismissed the conductor the same day a passenger shared video of the incident, which the news outlet described as xenophobic.
The video was captured and initially posted on TikTok by passenger Nathan Scherer, who was visiting from Florida with his father, Charles, according to WRCB of Chattanooga.
“To the very, very few Americans in here, happy Independence Day,” the conductor, later identified as Jack Peterson, said over the train intercom.
As the clip continues, a passenger tells him to shut up.
“To the rest of you, welcome to the greatest country on the face of the planet, and if you disagree, you can leave,” Peterson said.
CARTA published a statement Monday saying a customer shared the video the same afternoon and that Peterson, a seasonal summer employee, was fired that day, The Times Free Press reported.
“Those remarks were unacceptable, and they do not reflect the values of CARTA, the Incline Railway, or the people who work here. [Peterson] will not work for CARTA or the Incline Railway again,” wrote Scott Wilson, CARTA’s chief of staff, in an email shared by WRCB of Chattanooga. “[Peterson] will not work for CARTA or the Incline Railway again.”
“I want to apologize directly to the passengers who experienced this and to everyone who has seen the video and felt its sting. It should never have happened,” Wilson continued.
However, the agency later signaled the door was not fully closed.
In a fuller statement, CARTA said its chief executive, Charles Frazier, reached out to Peterson to discuss whether there was a path back to employment.
Peterson defended the remarks.
“I’m very patriotic it was the USA’s Independence Day. I was celebrating with my fellow Americans (native or non-native). I truly do believe we are the greatest country on earth. My statement about if you dont like the country and dont believe we are the best then you can leave is a freedom of the ISA that many other countries do not have. It is not a racist or xenophobic thing to say. If you dont believe in making this country better then why are you here?”
@natescherer Had an interesting train operator on The Incline in TN today #lookoutmountain #racism #xenophobia #theincline #tennessee ♬ original sound – Nathan Scherer
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