A class action lawsuit has been filed against Coach USA, a bus company, for allegedly failing to fulfill its contract to transport protesters to the March for Israel rally. The plaintiff, Doron Orbach, claims that Coach USA’s drivers refused to drive the protesters, resulting in religious discrimination and a violation of several federal anti-discrimination laws, including the Civil Rights Act.
Key Takeaway
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Coach USA for allegedly failing to transport Jewish protesters to the March for Israel rally, resulting in religious discrimination. Coach USA denies involvement in the incident and emphasizes the successful transportation of passengers to the rally as planned.
Background
The Israeli American Council had booked buses through Coach USA to transport around 900 individuals, mainly Jewish and of Israeli origin, from various pickup points across the East Coast to the rally in Washington, D.C. However, according to the lawsuit, Coach USA did not pick up the protesters as scheduled, allegedly due to a coordinated effort by its drivers to avoid the job based on their “discriminatory animus” towards Jewish people.
The Allegations
Orbach claims that multiple Coach bus drivers staged a “sick out” on the day of the rally, purposely avoiding picking up the protesters. As a result, Orbach argues that his civil and human rights, along with those of other individuals who missed the rally, were violated. Orbach further alleges that Coach USA had knowledge of the possibility of its drivers backing out but failed to take preventive measures.
Coach USA’s Response
In response to the lawsuit, Colin Emberson, VP of Commercial for Coach USA, denies any involvement in the incident. Emberson states that Coach USA successfully transported passengers on 74 charter buses from New Jersey and Maryland to the rally as planned. Coach USA claims to have become aware of the incident wherein charter customers from another bus company were left stranded on their way to the protest. However, Coach USA asserts that it was not involved in this incident.
