A company spokesperson told NBC News on Tuesday that the UPS driver went on a racist plea while delivering a package to a Latino family in Milwaukee several days before ending Christmas Day.
Video taken by the house doorbell camera On the evening of December 17, a white man dressed as a UPS appears, standing on the balcony while carrying a parcel and writing what appears to be a « failed delivery » notice.
« Now you don’t get f —— nothing … you can’t read, write and speak English, » the UPS driver is seen pasting the notice in the door of the house, a young Latino police officer lives in the house.
“UPS is huge, it’s global and this serves any other company that offers packages, you can’t do that. You can’t just look at a package and take these crazy assumptions,” Shirley Aviles, mother of the home-based Latino officer told NBC News by phone.
Due to privacy concerns, the name of the terminated UPS driver has not been disclosed.
Organized by the Latin advocacy group Forward Latino Tuesday press conference On behalf of the Latin police officer and his mother, about two weeks after the accident, after several failed attempts to get UPS to respond, Latin President Forward Daryl Morin He said. The young police officer, whose identity has not been revealed, was not at the press conference.
« The only information this driver had that could serve as a catalyst for this deep hatred is the name on the package, » Maureen said during the press conference. The last name on the package was Aviles.
Digital records from the family’s video doorbell camera service shared with reporters by Forward Latino do not show the UPS operator ringing the doorbell as he delivers the package to the Aviles family. Morin added that there is no evidence the worker ever knocked on the door.
The police officer’s mother said, « The package was a Christmas gift we eventually received after Christmas Day, but what if there was time-sensitive content like an epipen or a book I needed to take a final copy. » « I didn’t get that. It’s just sad. »
« So what we have here is a very deliberate act to spoil someone’s Christmas, for someone to unleash this hate speech, and quite frankly, to deceive an employer, » said Maureen.
Matthew O’Connor, UPS’s chief media relations manager, said in an email that the company « immediately contacted the family to offer our deepest apologies when we learned of this incident. »
« There is no place in any society for racism, bigotry or hatred. This is extremely dangerous and we have taken action immediately to terminate the employment of the driver. UPS is wholeheartedly committed to diversity, fairness and inclusiveness, » he said.
The Aviles family learned of the end of their UPS driver after Tuesday’s press conference.
However, Aviles said, « This is more than just » Hey, I’m sorry, he’s been fired and we apologize. «
Aviles, who works for a well-known local social services agency, said, « This is about the things people do when they think no one is watching them. It’s important because that’s when you see the true colors of people and that’s scary. »
Milwaukee community has been shaken by racist-charged incidents. An immigrant from Peru suffered In the face in an alleged racist attack Once again in November 2019. And recently, Protests are increasing distance Kenosha police shoot that Jacob Blake, 29, a black man, was paralyzed.
Aviles and Forward Latino UPS are urging « greater investments » in anti-bias and inclusion training.
O’Connor said UPS drivers undergo « professionalism and anti-harassment training » when appointed to the position. The company also donates to Multiple reasons and scholarship funds Through the UPS Foundation.
UPS is the largest single employer in Teamsters Union. However, a Teamster spokesperson said in an email: « This is a personnel issue that the local association does not comment on. »
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