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A26 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 7 July 2020
White woman charged after racist Central Park confrontation

By TOM HAYS long on the books and
Associated Press doesn't reference race.
NEW YORK (AP) — A white The confrontation began
woman who called the po- early one morning when
lice during a videotaped Christian Cooper said he
dispute with a Black man noticed Amy Cooper had
over her walking her dog let her cocker spaniel off
without a leash in Central its leash against the rules
Park was charged Monday in the Ramble, a seclud-
with filing a false police re- ed section of Central Park
port. popular with birdwatchers.
In May, Amy Cooper drew In the video posted on so-
widespread condemna- cial media, he claimed the
tion was fired from her job dog was "tearing through
after frantically calling the plantings" and told her
911 to claim she was be- she should go to another
ing threatened by "an Af- part of the park. When
rican-American man," bird she refused, he pulled out
watcher Christian Cooper. dog treats, causing her to
On the video he recorded scream at him to not come
of the woman, he sounds near her dog.
calm and appears to keep Amy Cooper also warned
a safe distance from her. him she would summon po-
District Attorney Cyrus lice unless he stopped re-
Vance Jr. said in a state- cording.
ment on Monday that his This file image made from May 25, 2020 video provided by Christian Cooper, shows Amy Cooper "I'm going to tell them
office had charged Amy with her dog talking to Christian Cooper in Central Park in New York. there's an African Ameri-
Cooper with falsely report- Associated Press can man threatening my
ing the confrontation, a life," Amy Cooper is heard
misdemeanor that carries After the backlash, Amy have imagined that I would an individual who calls a saying in the video as she
a maximum penalty of a Cooper released an apol- be involved in the type of police officer on someone pulls down her face mask
year behind bars. She was ogy through a public rela- incident that occurred with "without reason" because and struggles to control her
ordered to appear in court tions service, saying she Chris." of their background, in- dog. "Please call the cops,"
on Oct. 14. "reacted emotionally and Amy Cooper's 911 call was cluding race and national Christian Cooper says.
Cooper's attorney, Robert made false assumptions seen by many as a stark ex- origin. "There's an African Ameri-
Barnes, said Cooper would about his intentions." ample of everyday racism The new law, which the can man, I'm in Central
fight the charge. His client, "He had every right to re- and fueled outrage in the governor also signed last Park, he is recording me
he said, has already lost her quest that I leash my dog period leading up to the month, holds an individual and threatening myself
livelihood and "her public in an area where it was street protests sparked by who makes such 911 calls and my dog. … Please
life. Now some demand her required," she said in the the police custody death liable "for injunctive relief, send the cops immediate-
freedom?" written statement. "I am of George Floyd. It also in- damages, or any other ly!" she says during the call
Reached by phone on well aware of the pain that spired New York state law- appropriate relief" in a before he stops recording.
Monday, Christian Cooper misassumptions and insensi- makers in June to pass a civil lawsuit. Cooper was Police say by the time they
said he had no reaction or tive statements about race law that makes it easier charged under an existing responded, they were both
comment. cause and would never under civil rights law to sue false-report law that's been gone.q

Harvard invites freshmen to campus, but classes stay online

to allow only 40% of under- the transition to college in back only a portion of their
graduates on campus in these strange times." students. Yale University last
an effort to reduce density "They have not yet begun week said 60% of its stu-
and prevent the spread of to build their Harvard net- dents will be invited for the
COVID-19. All freshmen will work of faculty, advisors fall.
be invited, along with some and friends," Lawrence Ba- Along with the capac-
other students who face cow said in a campus let- ity limits, Harvard says it
challenges learning from ter. "Even with the many will require all students on
afar. adaptations that will be in campus to undergo regu-
All classes will be taught place this fall, we see enor- lar virus testing. All students
online, however, regard- mous value in having them will be tested upon arrival
less of where students live. on campus in our residen- on campus, officials said,
Students living on campus tial system." and then once every three
In this Aug. 13, 2019 file photo, students walk near the Widen-
er Library in Harvard Yard at Harvard University in Cambridge, would live in dorm rooms If the same capacity limits days. Any students who test
Mass. but continue taking their are in place for the spring positive will be placed in
Associated Press classes remotely, the uni- term, freshmen would likely isolation. The university says
versity said. return home and seniors it has space to isolate 250
By COLLIN BINKLEY most other undergraduates In deciding which students would be invited to finish students at a time.
AP Education Writer will be required to learn re- to invite, Harvard's president their final term on campus, Campus buildings will be
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — motely from home, the Ivy said he "could not help but Bacow wrote. barred to outsiders, and
Harvard University's fresh- League school announced recognize the unique posi- Harvard joins a growing even to Harvard under-
man class will be invited to Monday. tion that first-year students number of universities an- graduates who do not live
live on campus this fall, while University officials decided find themselves in, making nouncing plans to bring on campus.q