Australia - Cheryl Bogan couldn’t believe her ears. It wasn’t until the CityRail employee repeated himself in a louder voice that she and her husband, Jeffrey, were sure they were under racist attack by a public servant. The customer service manager at Central Station, no less.
They’re all Jews living in the eastern suburbs; they’re all wealthy; they can afford to get a taxi,’’ Roman Arnusch uttered repeatedly, according to the couple.
The Bogans, who are Jewish and live at Bondi, had stepped off a train late at night and asked another CityRail staff member whether trains were still running to Bondi Junction. A ‘‘polite and helpful’’ Arly Ribet, a subordinate to Mr Arnusch, told them that services had finished and they would need to get a taxi.
It was then that Mr Arnusch, 62, piped up from behind with his observations about Jews, repeating himself up to five times as other passengers got off the train.
I was utterly shocked,’’ Mrs Bogan told The Sun-Herald. ‘‘You don’t expect to hear that from a staff member of the railways. We sort of looked at each other and said, ‘This isn’t right, we need to say something.
After an investigation and in setting aside the RailCorp decision, Commissioner Inaam Tabbaa said: ‘‘Whether the remark that Mr Arnusch made was in the terms as described by CSA Ribet, or the Bogans or the appellant himself, it was racist, offensive, uncalled for and completely inappropriate, particularly for someone in a customer service position with RailCorp.’‘
Despite that, the commissioner noted Mr Arnusch’s ‘‘distinguished’’ career of almost 30 years and glowing references provided. ‘‘Dismissal is extreme in the present circumstances as it would serve to end his working life given his age and field of experience,’’ she said.
Mrs Bogan said she was satisfied as long as he had ‘‘learnt his lesson’‘.
Asked whether he regretted his statements, he said: ‘‘I’m just happy it has all been sorted out now.’’
Sydney Morning Herald
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