‘You Can Leave!’: White Tennessee Train Operator’s Independence Day Message Goes Off the Rails as Viral Outrage Forces Employer to Respond
A Tennessee college student will have to start looking for a new part-time job. It comes after making hateful comments while operating a packed train at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum.
Nathan Scherer posted the video on TikTok on Saturday. He told Atlanta Black Star that he and his family were visiting Chattanooga that weekend.
Scherer said the employee, identified as 21-year-old Jack Peterson, was operating the rail system when he made a remark that caught Scherer off guard.
“To the very, very few Americans in here, Happy Independence Day,” Peterson told his passengers in the video. “To the rest of you, welcome to the greatest country on the face of the planet, and if you disagree, you can leave.”
An Awkward Ride
Scherer says that comment wasn’t the first thing Peterson said that made him side-eye.
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“On the way up, he said something I think was worse. I can’t remember exactly what it was, but I remember being super shocked,” Scherer said.
On the way back down Lookout Mountain on the same train, Scherer decided to record what Peterson said.
“I guess maybe he heard different languages or he has an idea of what an American looks like,” Scherer said.
@natescherer Had an interesting train operator on The Incline in TN today #lookoutmountain #racism #xenophobia #theincline #tennessee ♬ original sound – Nathan Scherer
Not the First Time
Scherer said he’s encountered people with views similar to Peterson’s where he lives in Florida.
“I used to have a Black Lives Matter sticker on my car, and I would get comments, stuff like that, but that was Florida,” he told our reporter.
“You got comments for just having a sticker on your car?” our reporter asked.
“Yeah, or you know, wearing a shirt or whatever.”
Former Employee, Railway Responds
According to Peterson’s Facebook, he is a student at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
The unemployed college student defended his actions to WTVC, saying he did not intend for his message to be taken negatively.
“I’m very patriotic; it was the USA’s Independence Day. I was celebrating with my fellow Americans (native or non-native),” he said.
The Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) told NEWS 9 that Peterson has been fired.
“I want to apologize directly to the passengers who experienced this, and to everyone who has seen the video and felt its sting. It should never have happened,” Scott Wilson, CARTA’s chief of staff, told WTVC.
“We have zero tolerance for language that demeans or excludes anyone who rides with us,” Wilson added.
Atlanta Black Star reached out to Peterson for a statement but hasn’t heard back.