Chattanooga Incline Railway conductor fired after anti-immigrant remarks on viral video

The Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority fired a seasonal Incline Railway conductor after he used the loudspeaker during a July 4 ride to single out non-Americans with anti-immigrant remarks that spread fast on TikTok. In the video, the conductor told riders: “To the very, very few Americans in here, happy Independence Day. To the rest of you, welcome to the greatest country on the face of the planet, and if you disagree, you can leave.”

Charles Scherer and his son Nathan Scherer, who were visiting from Florida, said the comments made the return trip up Lookout Mountain tense and uncomfortable. Other passengers grew quiet as the ride continued, and Charles Scherer sent the video to CARTA within minutes, getting a reply about 15 minutes later that action was being taken.

Scott Wilson, CARTA’s chief of staff, apologized in a July 7 statement and said the conductor was terminated the same day. CARTA said the worker was not a direct employee but a seasonal hire brought in through an outside contractor. Internal response moved quickly as well: the Incline Railway’s director met with the employee that day and dismissed him immediately.

The remarks landed at an especially sensitive moment for a tourist attraction that markets itself as “America’s Most Amazing Mile” and draws riders from across the country and beyond. The incident unfolded over the July 4 holiday weekend, when families and vacationers were filling the funicular for a patriotic outing on one of Chattanooga’s most visible attractions.

The Incline Railway is no ordinary local ride. The current line opened on November 16, 1895, after the original Incline opened in 1887, and the track’s 72.7% grade near the top is described by operators as the world’s steepest passenger railway. Lookout Mountain Attractions says the railway has carried millions of riders and welcomed visitors from around the world over its 131 years of operation.

The railway’s profile in Chattanooga tourism only sharpened the backlash. The line had been closed for about eight months after a wildfire in December 2024 and reopened in July 2025 after repairs, making the conductor’s comments unfold in front of a renewed stream of visitors. Some local accounts identified the fired worker as Jack Peterson, though CARTA did not name him in its statement.