March 13th, 2007
Omaha, NE – An Omaha chef is fired up over what he says happened at a popular restaurant. The chef calls it a racist comment. However, an agency that fights discrimination says no harm was done. Chef Mike Whitner once worked at Rick’s Cafe Boatyard. He told Action 3 News the comment came from a co-worker. In 2004, the Tuskegee Airmen were visiting Omaha. The Tuskegee Airmen made history in World War Two as the first African-American pilots to fight for the United States. They were set to have a meal at the restaurant in downtown Omaha. Whitner says that he was preparing a meal for the airmen, when a co-worker called them "cotton-pickers turned pilots." Lawyers for Rick’s cafe Boatyard say the restaurant made the worker apologize for the comment. Still, Whitner filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC’s investigation led to the complaint being dismissed. The agency said that an apology by the worker was enough and no harm was done. Whitner is not happy with that decision and says he will continue seeking an apology for the Tuskegee Airmen.