Mahnomen Man Speaks Out About Claims Of Discrimination Against Amtrak

He claims he was removed from an Amtrak train by police after he says he wanted to move to another seat to get away from a passenger who smelled of alcohol.

MAHNOMEN, Minn. –“I use to enjoy the train but now I don’t see myself ever riding the train because of this. You never know. You could be in the middle of Montana and they feel as though they gonna kick you off and then they kick you off. How are you going to get home,” Xavier Edison said.

New video released from May 2019 shows Xavier Edison on his way from Detroit Lakes to the Twin Cities.

He claims he was removed from an Amtrak train by police after he says he wanted to move to another seat to get away from a passenger who smelled of alcohol.

“You need to get off this train now, there are like eight open seats back there. There are 40 people standing outside right now. You need to get off the train right now.”

“I have ridden the train multiple times, like, countless times, and this is the first time I have ever been told to go back to a seat,” Edison said.

Xavier says when he first sat down in an open seat, the conductor placed another man who smelled of alcohol next to him.

He says after trying to move, the conductor told him to go back to his seat and threatened to kick him off the train.

“I said ‘Sir, I don’t see the problem. There are 10 empty seats. I’m just going to sit back here,'” Edison said in the video.

According to Amtrak seating rules found on their website, the company has the right to seat of passengers and unless specific seats are assigned, seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Xavier then told the employee other people were doing the same thing and he had no reason to make him move.

After an hour when the train made it’s next stop in Staples, Xavier says he was woken up by the conductor asking him to move again.

After Xavier refused, he claims the employee asked officers to remove him from the train.

“Even if he had a legitimate business reason from removing him from the train which he did not there was several empty seats on the train,” Edison’s Attorney Karen Bryan said.

Photos from his attorney show there were multiple seats open and people sitting alone.

Bryan claims the conductor who told him to get off the train was involved in several prior race discrimination complaints, but no disciplinary action was taken.

She says she’s taken up other race-related cases involving Amtrak and believes fundamental changes are needed and hopes this lawsuit will do that.

“This is one of those things where a conductor can ask a black man to get off the train or just forcefully remove a black man from the train and Rosa Parks refused to sit at the back of the bus so this would not happen today and it’s happening on Amtrak,” Bryan said.

Amtrak says it strictly prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind.

The company adds it’s “proud of its diverse and inclusive environment for employees and customers.”