03.22.07

Update on NYC bus beating: Two teens arrested

Posted in Activism and Empowerment, Racism at 7:07 am by albert_lim

Recently we brought you the story of a 17-year-old girl who was attacked on a New York City bus by 10 black teenagers for “looking Chinese.”

Two teens have been arrested in the case, a 14-year-old girl and the 17-year-old boy who allegedly punched the victim, Philippine-born Marie Stefanie Martinez (pictured), in the face. The NYPD’s hate-crimes task force is handling the case, which means there’s some justice in this world.

However, there’s still the problem of the bus driver, who stood by as Marie was beaten and then told her to “go talk to a priest” when she asked him for help. (She was wearing her Catholic-school uniform at the time.)

Marie is suing the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), which runs the city’s buses, for negligence.

If you’d like to do your part in getting the MTA and the driver properly punished, here’s what you can do:

1) Sign this petition to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, NYPD hate-crimes task force commanding officer Michael Osgood and MTA Bus president Michael Savage, demanding action.

2) Write an e-mail to the MTA charging them with neglect and demanding that the bus driver be investigated and/or fired.

In the e-mail form’s “additional information” section, make the following choices:

MTA Service: NYC Transit Buses
Category: Complaint
Date/Time of Event: March 16, 2007, 3:30 p.m.
Location of Event: B82 bus (Ocean Avenue and Kings Highway)

3) Make a complaint by phone, fax or snail mail, using the following information:

Millard “Butch” Seay
Senior Vice President,
Department Of Buses
MTA New York City Transit
2 Broadway,
New York, NY 10004
phone: (646) 252-5872
fax: (646) 252-5839

Christopher R. Lake
Director,
Bus Customer Relations
25 Jamaica Avenue, Rm 1,
Brooklyn, NY 11207
phone: (718) 927-7499
fax: (718) 927-7498

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