The operator filmed and posted the incident on his Facebook page, saying, “This one’s for you, JC.”
By Dion J. Pierre, The Algemeiner
A New Jersey snowplow operator has been suspended for intentionally blasting two Orthodox Jews with snow as he drove past them on Saturday in Lakewood, a local outlet reported.
On Sunday, Waste Management (WM), one of the largest sanitation companies in the U.S., said employee Donny Larmann was off duty when the incident was filmed and posted to his Facebook page, along with the comment, “This one’s for you JC.”
“The hateful conduct depicted in this video is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of inclusion and diversity we hold as a company,” WM said on Twitter. “The employee is suspended while we investigate the incident, but we can confirm that this behavior will not be tolerated from any WM employee and we will not employ those who act in this way.”
— Waste Management (@WasteManagement) January 31, 2022
In the footage shared on social media, Larmann is shown spotting the two men and powering on his plow’s blades as he approached them, brimming with laughter as it covered them with snow.
Lakewood Mayor Ray Coles told The Lakewood Scoop, which first reported the story, that the footage left him “appalled and shaken.”
“Not only was it cruel but it was also incredibly stupid and dangerous,” Coles said, noting that the plow could have propelled ice chunks that would have seriously injured or killed the victims. “I am glad to know our police department is taking this as the serious incident it is.”
The outlet noted that the clip was also posted on Facebook, and then deleted, by Brandon Ebbs, the plow’s passenger who filmed the video.
“We are absolutely disgusted by this video footage which appears to show a snow plow operator intentionally and callously targeting two Orthodox Jewish men,” ADL New York/New Jersey tweeted in response to the incident. “This conduct is as dangerous as it is disturbing and we urge the victims to file a report with the Lakewood Police Department.”