Man accuses Greyhound driver of racial profiling

PITTSBURGH — Greyhound is looking into claims that one of its bus drivers racially profiled a passenger.

The passenger gave his side of the story, with leaders from the NAACP and the Black Political Empowerment Project.

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"The bus driver pulled the bus off the side of the road, came back to where I was sitting, pointed at me and said, 'You get your stuff, move to the front of the bus,' without any explanation at all. I grabbed my stuff. I didn't question the bus driver. I simply complied," William Anderson said.

William Anderson said this happened last week, about three hours into his bus ride to Washington, D.C.

He said the bus driver accused him of vaping and made him sit in the front of the bus.

According to Anderson, this treatment continued when he walked to the back of the bus to use the restroom.

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He said the driver again abruptly pulled the bus over and started banging on the bathroom door, demanding that he come out and return to his seat.

"I remained calm. Because that is what we tell people to do when they have these such encounters," Anderson said.

Instead of traveling on to D.C., Anderson said the bus driver drove to the Maryland State Police Barracks, where he ordered Anderson out of the bus then asked the trooper to kick Anderson off the bus for vaping.

"I told the Maryland state trooper that I never vaped a day in my life, I do not smoke, I do not drink. I didn't have a vapor on me. I didn't have a pipe or any illegal paraphernalia," Anderson said.

Anderson said he stayed on the bus to D.C. and filed a complaint with Greyhound, but has gotten no response.

He also hired an attorney to file a civil rights lawsuit.

"I am demanding the firing of this driver. I am demanding that Greyhound take responsibility for its treatment of black and brown people," Anderson said.

Channel 11 reached out to Greyhound. A spokesperson said they are investigating and they will get back to us as soon as possible.

Cox Media Group