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A New York City judge has dismissed a civil summons against The Bear writer Alex O'Keefe after he was booted from a Metro-North train over a complaint from a white woman who didn't like the way he was sitting, per NBC News.
O’Keefe, 31, was removed from the commuter train in handcuffs last month after the passenger complained about how he was seated. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) alleged he had violated the train's rules, occupying multiple seats by spreading his legs across an adjacent one. According to the MTA, officers were called after a conductor reported the alleged rule violation. When O’Keefe refused officers' directions to leave the train, he was escorted off in handcuffs, questioned, and issued a civil summons for disorderly conduct.
The screenwriter shared footage from the encounter, sparking outrage and calls for justice. The train appeared to be sparsely populated at the time of the white woman's complaint about his seating.
“You’re going to arrest the one Black dude on the train, because this white woman said she didn’t like the way I was sitting on the train?” O'Keefe told authorities.
On Tuesday (October 7), a judge officially dismissed the summons against O'Keefe.
“I was harassed and detained for sitting while Black,” O'Keefe said outside of the courtroom. “Even though this absurd case was dismissed today, I will continue to defend the civil rights of every New Yorker.”
O'Keefe also accused the MTA of trying to make an example of him.
MTA Chairman Janno Lieber previously defended the agency’s handling of the situation.
“The police have to get involved because somebody won’t take his feet off the seat?” Lieber said at a press conference. “Just take your feet off the seat. It’s that simple. And respect other passengers. But we’ll take a look at the video and deal with all the dramas that seem to come out of these simple interactions these days.”
Amid widespread backlash over the incident, the term “#SittingWhileBlack” trended on social media.
“This isn’t just about me,” O'Keefe said Tuesday. “This is about every Black person who’s been treated like a threat for simply existing in public space.”
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