Last week, a white investment banker punched a Black woman transit worker at a Brooklyn subway station. It happened at the Stillwell Avenue station on Coney Island. The accused, Jean-Francois Coste, 53, punched 56-year-old train operator Tanya McCray, in the face authorities confirmed Sunday.
McCray was at the beginning of her shift at the station when she was trying to leave the “crew room.” A TWY Local 100 spokesman explained that Coste, who works as a senior equity analyst at Tocqueville Asset Management, tried to enter.
“It’s not a public area. He was apparently drunk,” the rep said. “She pushed the door so it clicks and locks, and he punched her in the face at least twice.” The rep also explained that McCray “got in a few licks in herself, punching Coste in self-defense and swinging her lunch bag, which contained a thermos.”
Coste was arrested at the scene. However, according to police he was ordered released without bail. NYC Transit Chief Operating Officer Craig Cipriano gave a statement shortly after expressing gratitude to the NYPD for arresting Coste and another assailant who assaulted train workers in Times Square just a few days before.
“We have zero tolerance for attacks on transit workers and two senseless assaults days apart on employees just trying to do their jobs for the public is outrageous,” Cipriano explained. “We are grateful that the NYPD made immediate arrests in both cases, at Coney Island and Times Square, and hope the injured workers have a speedy recovery.”
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Through a statement provided by The Transit Workers Union, McCray said: “I just hope justice is served. I hope he sees jail time. It’s not fair that people think they can just assault us and it’s ok. It’s not OK. We’re just here to do our job.”