Amy Cooper dubbed ‘Central Park Karen’ fired from job after targeting Black man
'We do not tolerate racism of any kind,' said Cooper's former employer Franklin Templeton, an investment company.
Amy Cooper, who weaponized the police against a Black man in Central Park, has just been fired from her job.
Franklin Templeton, an investment company that employed Cooper as head of Insurance Investment Solutions, announced Tuesday that they were firing her. In their statement, the firm stated that they had no tolerance for racism.
“Following our internal review of the incident in Central Park yesterday, we have made the decision to terminate the employee involved, effective immediately. We do not tolerate racism of any kind at Franklin Templeton,” the company stated.
Following our internal review of the incident in Central Park yesterday, we have made the decision to terminate the employee involved, effective immediately. We do not tolerate racism of any kind at Franklin Templeton.
— Franklin Templeton (@FTI_US) May 26, 2020
READ MORE: Amy Cooper apologizes for calling cops on Black man to make false claim
A day prior, Franklin Templeton had placed Cooper on administrative leave following her actions on Memorial Day weekend. Cooper went viral on Monday after video showed in an encounter with Christian Cooper, no relation to Amy, who was out bird-watching in an area of the park called “The Ramble.”
According to the Central Park website, The Ramble is often noted for its bird watching opportunities, where birdwatchers can catch a glimpse of some of the approximately 230 species found in the woods.
Cooper refused to put her dog in a leash and Christian began to film the encounter. Cooper demanded that he stop filming or else she’d call the police and falsely tell them that an African American man was threatening her life. Cooper made good on her threat.
https://twitter.com/melodyMcooper/status/1264965252866641920
“There’s a man, an African American, he’s recording and threatening me and my dog,” she says deliriously. “There is an African American man in Central Park. He is recording me and threatening myself and my dog.”
Cooper then raised her voice as if she were in imminent danger while on the phone with police and begged for help to be sent right away. She was also seen choking and jerking her dog which she has since returned to the Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to the rescue and re-homing of Cocker Spaniels and other dogs.
“I am being threatened by a man in The Ramble!” she screamed. “Please send the police immediately!”
READ MORE: Woman falsely claims Black man threatened life in Central Park
Police arrived on the scene around 8 a.m. but both of them had left by that point. There were no arrests, tickets of citations made.
Cooper began to trend on social media as the footage of the encounter went viral and drew condemnation. She has since apologized for actions, declaring that “I’m not a racist. I did not mean to harm that man in any way,” in a statement to CNN but failed to address Christian Cooper by his name.
For his part, Christian told CNN that he would accept her apology “if it’s genuine and if she plans on keeping her dog on a leash in The Ramble going forward, then we have no issues with each other.”
Melody Cooper, sister to Christian and who shared the video, thanked everyone for the outpouring of support. She wanted to make sure this never again happened.
“My brother & I are so grateful for your concern! He is fine and left to continue birding after she leashed the dog, as he politely requested. I wanted folks to know what happened to make sure it never happens again from her. All she had to do was put her poor dog on the leash,” she tweeted.
https://twitter.com/melodyMcooper/status/1265107043460907008
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