The firing of a Franklin Templeton employee accused of launching a racist tirade against an African-American man in New York City reflects the new corporate emphasis on diversity and inclusion practices, with the goal of becoming more attractive employers, observers said.

Amy Cooper, a Franklin Templeton executive, was terminated on 26 May, a day after a Memorial Day altercation, in which she apparently threatened Christian Cooper (no relation), an African-American man who asked her to leash her dog in Central Park. Christian Cooper took a video of the event on his phone. The video went viral.