By: Wendy Medina

On May 25, 2020, a video of Amy Cooper went viral when placing a fake 911 call on Christian Cooper, a Black birdwatcher, for asking her to leash her dog. Subsequently dubbed “Central Park Karen,” she can be heard in the video threatening Cooper with making false allegations, “I’m going to tell them there’s an African American man threatening my life,” as well as making herself sound in duress.  

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The video posted the same day of George Floyd’s murder, sparked collective outrage over social media, and led to her firing from investment firm Franklin Templeton. According to USA Today, she is now suing her former employer, “alleging the company hastily fired her and made the decision based on race and gender.” In the federal lawsuit, she claims the firm did not lead an investigation before the termination, but based their firing on the public’s characterization of a privileged white female. She also asserted the calls were not racially motivated, but out of fear for her safety because of Cooper’s aggression.  

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In a statement, Franklin Templeton said, “We believe the circumstances of the situation speak for themselves and that the company responded appropriately. We will defend against these baseless claims.” 

Her criminal charges for the false report were dismissed in February, after completing a five-session counseling program. This misdemeanor carried a sentence of up to a year in prison but was however dropped due to her cooperation in this “alternative restorative justice solution,” according to Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon.