Southern District of New York Judge Ronnie Abrams on Wednesday dismissed Cooper’s lawsuit alleging that her former employer, Franklin Templeton, discriminated against her on the basis of her race and sex, defamed her and intentionally inflicted emotional distress. The investment firm said on social media hours after video of the 2020 incident went viral that it had placed Cooper, without naming her, on administrative leave while it conducted an investigation. A day later, he announced that the review had led to Cooper’s termination, also without naming her, but adding that the company “does not tolerate racism of any kind.” Cooper sued her former employer in 2021, alleging the company wrongfully fired her without conducting a legitimate internal review and falsely portrayed her as a racist, while she was branded “Central Park Karen” by social media users over the incident. . The lawsuit also claimed she was a victim of racial discrimination. “Franklin Templeton’s purported investigation and results provided legitimacy to ‘Karen’s’ story and appeared to vindicate those seeking to destroy Plaintiff’s life,” Cooper’s lawsuit argued. A spokeswoman for Franklin Templeton on Wednesday said the company was pleased the judge dismissed the case. “We continue to believe the firm responded appropriately,” Franklin Templeton spokeswoman Lisa Gallegos told the Washington Post in an email. Attorneys representing Cooper did not immediately respond when The Post reached out for comment. Cooper could not be reached by The Post. Amy Cooper was fired after calling 911 on a black bird sighting. She is now suing her former employer. On May 5, 2020, Christian Cooper — who is not related to Amy Cooper — was birdwatching in Central Park when he noticed Amy and her dog, an unleashed cocker spaniel, standing next to a sign that said all dogs must be committed. Post an interview with him shortly after the incident. When he approached her and asked her to leash her pet that morning, she refused, he told The Post. Christian Cooper, who said she usually carries dog treats, then tried to throw a treat at her dog. He started recording when she threatened to call the police on him. “I’m going to tell them an African-American man is threatening my life,” she told him, pulling out her cell phone and calling 911. Christian Cooper chose to continue recording because he wasn’t going to be an active player in “his own dehumanization,” he told The Post. “Please call the police,” he said in the video. “Please tell them what you want.” The video quickly garnered millions of views after his sister posted it on Twitter. The following day, Amy Cooper publicly apologized for her actions, saying she “reacted emotionally and made false assumptions about his intentions” when she should have restrained her dog. “I was the one misbehaving because I didn’t have my dog on a leash,” she wrote. “I know well the pain that false assumptions and insensitive statements about race cause. … I hope that a few disappointing seconds in a forty-year life will not define me in his eyes.” Prosecutors charged her with false reporting months later. The criminal charges were later dropped. On May 5, 2o21, Amy Cooper filed a lawsuit alleging that Franklin Templeton “failed to investigate” the incident, did not interview her or Christian Cooper, and made no effort to obtain her complete 911 call. The company, the suit says, also ignored her achievements as an “outstanding employee” who earned “high performance bonuses” for three consecutive years, instead defaming her and discriminating against her based on her race and gender. This cost the woman “significant loss of earnings and benefits” and “severe emotional distress” in the near and long term, the lawsuit said. Theo Armus, Jaclyn Peiser and Michael Brice-Saddler contributed to this report.
