Employee suing United Airlines after finding a noose in his work area

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A Bay Area man has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against United Airlines for what he claims was the corporation's failure to fully investigate the discovery of a noose in his work area at San Francisco International Airport.

"I was mad and disgusted and upset," said airplane mechanic Tony Carter, who works on jumbo jets. He says it started just as another day at SFO, until he got to his work area.

"I walked into my work area, which is the cockpit of the aircraft, and I saw a lynching noose hanging there."

Carter says he took several photos of the rope, which was tied like a hangman's noose. He then went to find his immediate supervisor.

"He asked me where is it at? I said it's still up in the cockpit. I didn't put it up there so I'm not taking it down. So we went up and we looked at it and he removed it," explains Carter.

Carter says that was followed by a brief period of interviewing employees but no one admitted to placing the noose in the cockpit. United's investigation then ended.

"What we're really concerned about here is the failure to take steps once the incident occurred. The things that shocks us is how much they tried to ignore this," says Arthur Lazear, Carter's attorney.

Carter has now filed a lawsuit against United for racial discrimination and civil rights violations.

"The way it was handled, it was truly disappointing to me," says Carter.

In a written statement to ABC7News, United spokeswoman said: "United does not tolerate discrimination of any kind and we will vigorously defend these allegations."

As for the evidence, Carter says the noose his supervisor took down has not been seen since.