Amy Cooper, the white woman who called 911 on a Black birdwatcher in Central Park, has filed a discrimination lawsuit against her former employer for firing her when video of the incident went viral. Cooper, who was charged with making a false report but then let off the hook after attending therapy sessions, says the firm Franklin Templeton canned her without doing a basic investigation into the confrontation, basing its decision on her race and gender, the New York Daily News reports. “Franklin Templeton perpetuated and legitimized the story of ‘Karen’ vs. an innocent African American to its perceived advantage, with reckless disregard for the destruction of Plaintiff’s life in the process,” the suit says. It also brands Christian Cooper, the man on whom she called the cops, “an overzealous birdwatcher engaged in Central Park’s ongoing feud between birdwatchers and dog owners.” Franklin Templeton said in a statement: “We believe the circumstances of the situation speak for themselves and that the Company responded appropriately. We will defend against these baseless claims.”
