By Kathy Wray Coleman ad Johnette Jernigan, Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog

CLEVELAND, Ohio – A greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) bus driver has been suspended after a video, now on YouTube.com and generating more than 3 million review clicks, goes viral and catches him sucker punching a 25 -year- old female passenger in the face that allegedly hit and spat on him in a dispute that unraveled after the woman got on the bus on Sept 18 at the borderline of the Ohio cities of Cleveland and Beachwood.

RTA officials have identified the bus driver as Artis Hughes (pictured), 59, and the young woman he punched to the floor like a man and then threw off the bus as Shi'Dea N. Lane (pictured). (Editor's note: Hughes has since been fired for violating  RTA  departmental rules and policies relative to his brutal and outrageous attack on Lane).

Unlike Hughes, of East Cleveland, RTA police have charged Lane with misdemeanor disorderly conduct, a position that is raising eyebrows on whether sexism has reared its ugly head since Hughes has not been charged by the entity.

Both Hughes and Lane are Black and RTA police have received complaints of harassment of Black teens and girls by RTA police and bus drivers, claims area womens' groups, such as The Imperial Women,  are now investigating.

City of Beachwood Prosecutor Thomas Greve and Law Director Margaret Ann Cannon said last week that the City of Beachwood will charge Lane with fourth degree misdemeanor disorderly conduct, which carries a fine and up to 30 days in jail, and Hughes will be charged with first degree misdemeanor assault,  an offense that, if convicted of, could bring him a fine and up to sixth months in  jail.

Some  say that Hughes' attack on Lane should be prosecuted as felonious assault and that he should be indicted by a Cuyahoga County grand jury, though since Cannon is allegedly anti-Black and anti-female she will not recommend such to Interim Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty, a Democrat.

Cannon, who was also the law director for Shaker Hts. until recently let go, has been accused of maliciously prosecuting Blacks and women for her political friends on behalf of the municipalities of Shaker Hts and Beachwood, with Greve's help in Beachwood.

Cannon and her law firm of  Walter and Haverfield, LLP, where she is a partner, also represent the Cleveland Municipal School District and Cleveland Board of Education against racial discrimination lawsuits filed by Black students, parents, teachers and administrators, and others.

Beachwood misdemeanor criminal cases are by state law heard in the Shaker Heights Municipal Court.

Hughes, a 22 year employee and a member of the Amalgamated Transit Authority Union Local 268/AFL-CIO, is also seen on the video throwing Lane off the bus and commenting that “you going to jail. I don’t care. She wanna be a man, I’m a treat you like a man.”

Cleveland and Beachwood police were both called to the scene but no initial arrest took place.

(Watch the RTA bus fight  video here).

union members, that belong to The Almalgamated Transit Union Local 268, just gathered on Oct 2, the first day of early voting in Ohio, for a get-out-the-vote  rally at Greater Abyssinia Baptist Church in Cleveland with First Lady Michelle Obama’s brother Craig Robinson, and Black leaders, including Ohio Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (D-11), who organized the rally along with Greater Abyssinia Senior Pastor the Rev. E.T. Caviness and local  RTA union officials.

“Do not be afraid to engage the other side," said Robinson, the headmen's  basketball coach at Oregon State.

Michelle Obama’s only sibling, Robinson said at the rally that the crowd’s enthusiasm was uplifting and that “I can’t wait to tell my sister.”

Lawrence  Hanley, RTA’s national president of the 190,000 member Amalgamated Transit Union, also spoke at the Greater Abyssinia rally, as did local RTA union president William Nix.

A person that answered the telephone at the offices of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 268 on Wednesday said that Hughes has allegedly not contacted the union over the celebrated matter.

Reach Johnette Jernigan@jernigan@clevelandurbannews.com

Reach Cleveland Urban News.Com by telephone at 216-659-0473 and by email at editor@clevelandurbannews.com.