Allegations of racially motivated firings

MONTGOMERY, AL — Alabama State Representative Alvin Holmes has called for an official investigation into the firing of 44 city janitors, a move he claims was racially motivated, according to WSFA-TV.

In a letter sent to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Holmes points out that 99 percent of the laid-off janitors are black, and he contends their termination violates federal anti-discrimination laws, the story stated.

City of Montgomery spokesman Michael Briddell said: "At no point in the process did we look at the ethnicity of the people affected. All we looked at were job functions that could be reduced or eliminated so we could save the money we needed to in the upcoming budget."

Many of the laid-off janitors have already found other positions with similar pay and benefits, including some who will now work for the private janitorial service the city has hired to replace them, the story noted.

Upwards of 100 city employees are losing their jobs as a result of reduced revenue, and the city claims race was never a deciding factor in their decision-making process, the story added.

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