OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — An Omaha man who placed a noose for a Black coworker to find was sentenced on Friday for violating the person’s federal civil rights.
66-year-old Bruce A. Quinn was sentenced for Interference with Federally Protected Activities, a civil rights violation.
The sentence includes four months imprisonment and one year of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to the charge on Sept. 7.
“Federal courts have long recognized the noose as one of the most vile symbols in American history”, said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Individuals, like this defendant, who use a noose to convey a threat of violence at a workplace will be held accountable for their actions.”
"This case highlights the FBI’s mission to aggressively investigate civil rights crimes and bring to justice those who victimize someone because of the color of their skin," said FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowal.
RELATED: Nebraska man who placed noose near Black co-worker convicted of civil rights violation
According to a Department of Justice press release:
In June 2020, Keith Kirksey, a 63-year-old Black man employed by the Oriental Trading Company arrived for his shift and went to an industrial floor scrubber.
Kirksey discovered that an 8-to-12-inch piece of orange twine, deliberately twisted and knotted into the shape of a noose, had been left on the seat of the equipment.
Kirksey was the only Black employee trained to use the scrubber. Kirksey was extremely distraught by the small noose; he was crying and shaking, and he later told investigators that he was scared by the noose, believing it to be a death threat directed at him.
The case was investigated by the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lecia Wright and Trial Attorney Cameron Bell of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.
RELATED: Oriental Trading Company employee fired after alleged racial incident
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