Morgan City welder claims he was fired for reporting a “noose”, company says otherwise

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As a point of reference, the suspected noose reported at the job site is shown on the left; a typical arbor knot on the right.

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Performance Contractors, Inc. takes all allegations seriously and investigates them thoroughly. We do not tolerate discrimination of any form. The specific knot in question was an arbor knot – which is a variation of the slipknot. The three most commonly used knots in our industry are the slip knot, clove hitch, and arbor knot. These knots are essential for securing lightweight materials when manually raising or lowering from elevated work areas. These knots are common in our industry, and there is no indication there was any racial motivation whatsoever.

A swift investigation revealed that this rope and loop used for lifting materials had been tied by an African American and was being used by an African American to hoist a tool bag to the scaffolding deck. We have an affidavit from that employee attesting to this fact.

As for the allegation of retaliatory discharge, it should be noted that the employee in question had been employed by Performance as a welder for less than a month prior to his reporting of the rope. During that time and prior to his complaint, he received two disciplinary warnings. He reported the rope on August 15. On August 18, Performance tested his first structural weld since being employed and approximately 17 out of 42 inches failed objective ultrasonic testing and were rejected. The employee was terminated for poor performance.

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