Central Park ‘Karen’ Firing Case Tests How Far Employers Can Go

A lawsuit stemming from a viral confrontation between a White woman and a Black birdwatcher in Central Park is the latest legal challenge to test an employer’s response to social media backlash.

Amy Cooper on May 25 accused Franklin Templeton, her former employer, of unlawfully firing her after a viral video last year showed her yelling at Christian Cooper when he asked her to leash her dog, and frantically telling a 9-1-1 operator that an “African-American man” was threatening her. She also claimed the company defamed her by publicizing the incident in the media and on Twitter, where she ...