A driver making FedEx deliveries said Wednesday that he and a co-worker were fired after he posted a video showing part of a confrontation with a customer in Georgia.
The driver tweeted that the customer began cursing and threatening the pair after they delivered a package to the man’s home in Leesburg, in the state’s southeast corner.
“We just apologized but he kept escalating the situation then kept saying he would whoop [our] black asses," the worker wrote, adding: “People like him doesn’t matter white or any race should never disrespect essential workers putting their lives in jeopardy especially with this covid-19.”
The employee seen in the video is black and the customer appears to be white.
The alleged threats were not captured in the video, which shows one of the workers telling the man: “You didn’t have to come out there cussing me like that.”
The customer can be seen standing several feet away, recording the confrontation with his phone. “I thought you were waiting for the cops,” the man said.
The local sheriff’s office said the Leesburg Police Department responded to the incident. The Police Department could not immediately be reached for comment.
The driver who posted the video did not respond to an interview request from NBC News.
In a statement late Wednesday, FedEx said that the drivers had been employed by an independent service provider. The company said it confirmed with the contractor that "the drivers are no longer providing service on behalf of FedEx Ground."
FedEx said it takes any allegations of discrimination, retaliation or improper employment actions seriously and would "be conducting a thorough investigation into these claims."
"While we conduct this investigation FedEx will provide employment for these drivers,” the company said.