London Stock Exchange Group fires employee who follows black teen in viral video

London Stock Exchange Group Plc has fired an employee who was seen following a black teenager and asking him questions as he allegedly walked in his own Florida neighborhood.

As previously reported by Face2Face AfricaThe incident occurred in a Sarasota neighborhood after Hurricane Milton hit the state. The fired employee was among a group of white adult men who followed the teen.

The teen recorded the encounter and his mother, Whitney Portela, shared the video on Facebook. The viral video has since been viewed more than five million times on social media, with several people condemning the white men’s actions.

Per Bloombergthe fired employee of London Stock Exchange Group Plc was identified as Stephen Carega. The company said it cut ties with Carega after investigating a “concerning video” that showed a black teenager being followed by Carega and his neighbors.

“The individual involved was initially suspended while we investigated the matter,” an LSEG spokesperson said, although Carega was not identified as the terminated employee. “The investigation has now concluded and the individual’s employment has been terminated.”

The company also said in the statement that it expects “the conduct of our employees to meet a high standard.” “LSEG has a zero-tolerance policy against any form of racism, discrimination, prejudice or harassment,” the statement said.

Portela labeled the incident as “racial, profiling and harassment” in her Facebook post. “Here’s a little backstory: In the morning aftermath of Hurricane Milton, my son wanted to walk around the neighborhood to talk to his girlfriend on the phone because we didn’t have power in the house that was spotty. THIS is what he had to deal with,” she wrote.

“Even after telling these men that he lives here, we are not satisfied with his response and continue to harass him. This was not a one minute altercation, my son was followed for over ten minutes while he was doing this. I’m so happy he captured every moment, and grateful that my child is still here.”

Portela also said the incident took a mental toll on her as she had flashbacks of the Trayvon Martin shooting. “I don’t want to live in a community that doesn’t welcome me and my children because of the color of our skin.. these (sic) situations made me go back to a deep depression thinking about 2009 with Trayvon Martin.. this man who grabs something from his car… What if that guy didn’t stop him? All I can think of is: could my son still be here?!” she wrote.

She added: “I’m posting this because people need to see that racism still exists. This is racist, profiling and harassment at its finest. Many people have lost their lives because of these ignorant idiots. Please help me get this video out because this isn’t fair and it doesn’t feel good. #blacklivesmatter #blm #helpme.”

In the video, we see adult white men following the black teenager as he walks. The teen is then asked if he lives in the area. “He clearly doesn’t live here,” one of the men is heard claiming.

“You’ve passed my house four times, I don’t know you, I’ve never seen you before and you walk past my house over and over again,” another man is heard telling the teen. Another man is also heard asking the teen if he “lives here.”

“I’m part of the neighborhood,” the teenager answers. One of the men asks the teen if he lives in the area before claiming the black teen “went to see my wife.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the teen says. “And I think I can walk around my neighborhood.” “Yes, if you live here,” you hear one of the men say in response.

Elsewhere in the video, one of the men is seen exiting a white car and grabbing something from the passenger seat. He is then seen trying to aggressively walk towards the teen before another man stops him.

Another video also shows the teen talking to a Sarasota County sheriff’s deputy and reporting on the white men. He also asks the deputy if what the men are doing constitutes harassment. The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office announced last Tuesday that it had launched an investigation into the incident.