White woman fired after video of her harassing her black neighbor goes viral


A white woman was fired from her North Carolina job after a video of her yelling at a black neighbor went viral last week. Susan Westwood’s employer, Charter Communications, confirmed in a statement to Yahoo Lifestyle that Westwood was let go because of her behavior toward two black women that was caught on tape.

In a video one of the black women posted to Facebook on Friday, Westwood is seen walking up to the two women in an apartment complex parking lot and calling them “b****,” among other things. They tell Westwood to leave them alone, but she keeps asking if they live in the apartment complex.

A Charlotte, N.C., woman was fired over a viral video of her harassing two black women. (Photo: Facebook/Chele Garris)
A Charlotte, N.C., woman was fired over a viral video of her harassing two black women. (Photo: Facebook/Chele Garris)

“I’m hot, I’m beautiful, I’m white,” Westwood says in the video. “This is Myers Park, SouthPark. What are you doing here?”

When one of the women calls 911, Westwood threatens to pull out a gun.

“Do I need to bring out my concealed weapon too?”

The two women, Leisa and Mary Garris, are sisters, according to the Facebook post, and were reportedly waiting for AAA car service. One of the women alleged she was physically assaulted, according to the police incident report obtained by Yahoo Lifestyle.

The incident, which took place on Oct. 19, apparently got back to Westwood’s employer after she was named by the press.

“The incident recorded in Charlotte is a blatant violation of Charter’s code of conduct and clearly disregards the company’s commitment to inclusion and respectful behavior,” a Charter spokesperson said in a statement to Yahoo Lifestyle. “As such, Ms. Westwood’s employment with the company has been terminated, effective immediately.”

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police spokesperson Keith Trietley told Yahoo Lifestyle that four criminal summons for “simple assault” and “communicating threats” have been issued for the suspect, whom he didn’t name. The summons haven’t been served yet, however.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.