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‘Karen’ Fired After Telling Black Couple To “Go Back To Their Hood”

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‘Karen’ Fired After Telling Black Couple To “Go Back To Their Hood”

You’re fired! A white woman who went viral on Twitter after she allegedly told a black couple at a Brooklyn park to go “back to their hood,” has been fired.

Emma Sarley, was filmed on camera getting into a confrontation with Frederick Joseph at a dog park in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, with his fiancee, Porsche Landon.

Sarley told the couple to “stay in your hood” after complaining about their dog whom she had mistaken for another dog that was allegedly barking loudly at the park.

Sarley worked for Bevy, and they are not here for her alleged racist behavior.

“@BevyHQ has zero tolerance for discriminatory behavior of any kind. Yesterday an employee engaged in behavior contrary to our values and has been terminated. We apologize deeply to all involved,” CEO Derek Andersensaid on Twitter.

Joseph spoke to CBS New York, about the incident and how it all unfolded.

“She’s like, ‘You’re not from around here. Go back to your hood. Stay in your hood. Stay in your hood,’” he added. “So I’m like, ‘Stay in my hood?’ Right, like? ‘You’re being racist right now,’ and she’s like, ‘I’m not being racist.’

“I tried to explain, like, ‘I think you have the wrong dog,’ and then she just starts, like, going completely out of left field,” he said. “At that point, I’m like, look, what you’re doing is deeply, deeply offensive, deeply racist, and I want to get this on camera because I don’t want there to be any misconceptions about what took place here.”

Following reports, Emma Sarley reached out to us to provide her statement,

“I am still processing everything that has happened over the last couple days, and thought it was important to share what I saw and experienced. I absolutely accept responsibility for how I could have handled things differently in that moment.

On Saturday evening, I watched a dog get into several aggressive altercations with other dogs at my local park, and as the owners of this dog were leaving, I suggested that they keep a handle on their dog while visiting this particular park. My reference to “back to your hood” only referred to another dog park outside of this neighborhood park.

I was frustrated and upset, but to be clear – I had no intended racial undertones in my comments whatsoever. I said it because it’s an unstated rule at our local park that when a dog is being aggressive, owners immediately remove them so it can be a calm, welcoming environment for everyone else. However, I fully understand how my words could’ve been interpreted and I deeply wish I had chosen them more carefully. A brief and thoughtless moment in my life has now led to nationwide outrage and hurt. For that, I am sorry.

I want to clarify that I never threatened to call the police. I never went on a tirade. As the dog owners followed me down the street with the phone camera on, I was filled with some panic because I’ve never been in an altercation like this and reacted in an inappropriate way. That’s what you witnessed on that tape.

I’ve lived in New York City for a decade, my Brooklyn neighborhood and dog park is extremely diverse, something I truly love about this city, and I never meant for my words to contribute to pain for anyone. I truly hope we can find understanding and a peaceful resolution to this, for everyone involved.”

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