Attorney for NYC hospital worker speaks out after viral bike dispute
Attorney Justin Marino defends pregnant hospital employee who was placed on leave over a viral bike dispute.
The attorney for the New York City hospital worker at the center of a viral bicycle dispute said his client is "in hiding" because her life and job are being threatened over the encounter.
Sarah Comrie, a Physician Assistant at Bellevue Hospital, was branded a racist "Karen" by media outlets and social media critics after she was seen arguing with a group of Black men who accused her of taking their rental bike in a iPhone video that's gone viral.
Her attorney Justin Marino explained on "America's Newsroom" Friday that the 6-month pregnant health care provider had just ended her 12-hour-shift and was trying to rent a bike to go home.
Marino said Comrie started to back off the docking station after paying for the bike on May 12 when the men confronted her claiming she was taking the bike they had already reserved.
The attorney for the NYC Physician Assistant at center of a viral Citibike dispute speaks out on "America's Newsroom."
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"Around that time these individuals were claiming that that was their bike. Someone pushed the bike while she was on it, back into the docking station so it locked again," he said.
Comrie claimed she had paid for that specific bike but after the argument put it back in the docking station and rented another one. Marino said he had two receipts that proved his client was telling the truth, with serial numbers that matched the bicycles in question.
He said Comrie sought an attorney because she was fearful she would lose her job over the encounter. After the video went viral and Comrie faced online accusations of racism, Bellevue Hospital put her on administrative leave pending a review of the situation.
FILE- In this Feb. 5, 2014 file photo, snow covers a CitiBike bike rack, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) (The Associated Press)
Bellevue Hospital called the incident "disturbing," and reaffirmed their commitment to "providing an environment" free from discrimination in a May 16 tweet.
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Marino said it wasn't just her job that his client was worried about.
"She's received death threats," he said. "She's in hiding. What's at play is what social media did to this woman who's literally a hero, and has done nothing but help people and within one minute effectively tries to ruin her life."
The attorney says he is preparing lawsuits, saying there's "no question" some outlets defamed his client.
"She's been called a racist, she's been called a thief… We plan to purse that," he said.
Marino clarified that they wished no ill will against the men in the video and their complaints are against the media outlets who suggested she was a racist.
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Her uncle has set up a GoFundMe account to help "save her livelihood and her reputation."
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