Amy Cooper Files Lawsuit Against Franklin Templeton

Central Park, pictured on June 26, 2020, where a woman falsely reported a Black birdwatcher to police AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY

Amy Cooper, a white woman who became known as “Central Park Karen” after calling the police on a Black man in May 2020, is suing her former employers.

Last week, Cooper filed a lawsuit against her former employer Franklin Templeton, which released a statement cutting ties with Amy Cooper following her viral confrontation with a Black birdwatcher named Christian Cooper over her unleashed dog.

Cooper is requesting compensation for emotional damages, lost pay, and punitive damages that are expected “to be determined at trial.”

The incident showed Amy Cooper calling the police to an area of Central Park known as The Ramble.

“I’m in The Ramble, and there’s a man, African American, he’s got a bicycle helmet. He’s recording me and threatening me and my dog,” she told the emergency dispatcher over the phone at the time of the incident.

Although Christian Cooper didn’t appear to move closer to Amy Cooper during her phone call, she began to scream. “I’m sorry. I can't hear. Are you there? I’m being threatened by a man in The Ramble. Please send the cops immediately!” she said.

One day after the incident, Franklin Templeton announced it terminated Amy Cooper. “We do not tolerate racism of any kind at Franklin Templeton,” the investment firm said in a statement.

Cooper’s lawsuit was filed in the US District Court against Franklin Templeton, CEO Jenny Johnson, and unnamed employees.

“The Defendants knew that they had not performed an investigation into the May 25, 2020 incident in Central Park involving Plaintiff, but nevertheless published statements that they had,” Cooper’s suit claims.

Cooper’s lawsuit condemned the investment firm for releasing a statement that painted her as a racist.

“The Defendants’ announcements to the effect that they had conducted an investigation, and that the investigation concluded indisputably that the Plaintiff was a racist when Defendants knew they had not conducted an investigation which concluded indisputably that the Plaintiff was a racist, was extreme and outrageous,” the suit states.

Despite Cooper’s new lawsuit, Franklin Templeton is standing by their decision to fire her following the incident.

“We believe the circumstances of the situation speak for themselves and that the company responded appropriately,” Stacey Coleman, a spokesperson for the firm, said in an emailed statement. “We will defend against these baseless claims.”