A former Oriental Trading Co. employee who placed a noose on a floor cleaner that a Black coworker was about to use has received a prison sentence.
Bruce Quinn, 66, was given a sentence of four months in jail and a year of supervised release on Friday for leaving the noose for his coworker to find, according to the Nebraska U.S. Attorney’s office. In September, he admitted guilty to violating federal civil rights.
According to the prosecution, in June 2020, a 63-year-old Black man who worked for Oriental Trading discovered the orange string noose on the seat of the machinery. He confessed to being terrified by the noose and seeing it as a danger to his life.
“Federal courts have long recognized the noose as one of the vilest 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.”
