It looks like Linda Fairstein, one of the figures involved in the Central Park Five prosecution, is in a bit of a sticky situation. Since the Netflix release of Ava DuVernay’s limited series When They See Us, Fairstein has been receiving backlash not only from the series’ viewers, but from places closely connected to her.
For nearly 20 years, she’s worked for a nonprofit organization called Safe Horizon, which aims to help NYC abuse and crime victims. According to TMZ, Safe Horizon is trying to boot her from working for them any longer, due to her involvement in the wrongful prosecution.
In 1989, Fairstein was the head of the Sex Crimes Unit for the Manhattan District Attorney. In the series, which premiered on May 31, she is portrayed by Felicity Huffman. She played a key role in the coercion of confessions from the five teenagers accused of raping a woman in Central Park.
“We’re told the animosity began when the CEO held a meeting on May 21 where nearly 100 directors were informed about the Netflix drama and Fairstein’s connection to it,” reports TMZ. “We’re told some staffers didn’t even know Fairstein was on the board of directors, and when they found out tempers quickly flared. Many questioned why she was allowed on the board of an organization that mostly serves minorities.”
Central Park Five exonoree Raymond Santana says he believes that Fairstein “has to pay for her crime.”
“When you do dirt, you can’t run no matter how long it is, the truth comes out,” he told the gossip site. “Whether it’s in the courtroom or whether it’s socially, it is what it is.”
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