Jeremiah Harvey, 9, was forced to endure a traumatic experience after being falsely accused of sexual assault by Teresa Klein. The incident occurred on Oct. 10 at a corner store in New York.
Klein called police and accused Harvey of grabbing her butt before he walked out of the store with his younger sister and mother, Someko Bellille.
Bellille and other people near the store began to confront Klein about the false accusation and filmed her actions on a cell phone. The false accusation caused Harvey to cry. The video eventually went viral and Klein became known as “Cornerstore Caroline.”
One day after the incident, Klein returned to the store with a journalist and discovered that the boy’s book bag brushed against her by mistake.
But Klein continued to press the issue and told reporters that she would sue the boy’s mother because she felt “threatened.”
Klein eventually apologized on camera to Harvey by saying, “Young man, I don’t know your name but I’m sorry.”
The incident proved to be another case of racial profiling where a White person called police on an innocent Black person for simply existing.
During a community meeting, Harvey clapped back at Klein for falsely accusing him of sexual assault. While crying, Harvey rejected her apology and told attendees at the meeting, “I don’t forgive this woman, and she needs help.”
