Firings over hangman's noose in Houston

HOUSTON, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Four contractors with an oil field services company in Houston were fired after allegedly hanging nooses at the company’s facility.

FMC Technologies fired three men and one woman from their jobs with FMC contractors after nooses were found on the facility in two separate occasions. Maryann Seaman, a spokeswoman for FMC, told the Houston Chronicle Wednesday “FMC has zero tolerance for workplace harassment.�

Seaman said FMC didn't contact law enforcement officials and stated that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received no complaints regarding the incident.

An EEOC spokesmen, James Ryan, told the Chronicle that the rate of such incidents is down from 10 reported in 2001 to two this year.

Yolanda Smith of the Houston National Association for the Advancement of Colored People told the Chronicle, however, “It’s taken us back to the days of the 1950’s and 1960’s. We have to be more cognizant of diversity.�