GoFundMe for woman accused of racism in viral confrontation raises over $100K

A pregnant nurse, Sarah Comrie, who found herself at the center of a viral confrontation has raised over $100,000 through a GoFundMe campaign after being labeled a racist white woman. The incident, which occurred on May 12, involved a dispute over who rightfully paid to use a Citi Bike.

In the video, Comrie is seen arguing back with a teenage Black man and his friends as they both put their hands on a bike claiming it is theirs. No explicit references to race were made in the clip.

News reports began circulating quickly, and they portrayed Comrie as attempting to steal a bike from the Black man.

Following the incident, NYC Health+ Hospitals/Bellevue announced Comrie had been put on leave as the health system reviewed the situation.

The woman’s attorney, Justin Marino, later presented receipts purportedly showing that she had indeed paid for the bike, arguing that the online narrative had distorted the true nature of the interaction.

“Every part of that story is incorrect, starting with my client is not a racist,” Marino said. “My client did not take anybody else’s bike.”

In the GoFundMe campaign set up by Comrie’s apparent uncle, he stated “the damage has been done.”

“Sarah is a dedicated healthcare worker who is six months pregnant. She holds racial justice and equity dear, and has dedicated her life to serving NYC’s most challenged individuals. She does not wish to become a cause celebre, but the legal bills to save her livelihood and her reputation obviously are mounting,” the GoFundMe read.

Videos and tweets attacking Comrie have amassed millions of views online. One user referred to Comrie as a suspected white supremacist, while others posted threats and shared images of her family.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump also commented on the situation, expressing outrage in a now-deleted tweet: “This is unacceptable! A white woman was caught on camera attempting to STEAL a Citi Bike from a young Black man in NYC. She grossly tried to weaponize her tears to paint this man as a threat.”

Responding to the accusations, Marino questioned the plausibility of Comrie engaging in such behavior.

“Do you think any pregnant woman, in their right mind, would jump on a man’s bike and scoot away,” Marino asked.

As a result of the controversy, Comrie is reportedly in hiding after being placed on leave from her job. Her attorney stated that defamation lawsuits are being considered as a means to address the situation.

“She’s been called a racist,” Marino told Fox News. “She’s been called a thief. There are reasons defamation laws exist, and we plan to pursue that.”