“Throughout the film series, Ms. Fairstein is portrayed as making statements that she never said, taking actions that she did not take — many of them racist and unethical, if not unlawful — in places that she never was on the days and times depicted. On a number of occasions, Ms. Fairstein is portrayed using inflammatory language, referring to young men of color as ‘thugs,’ ‘animals’ and ‘bastards,’ that she never used.”
Fairstein oversaw the sex crimes unit at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office when the Central Park case garnered national attention in 1989. She was portrayed by Felicity Huffman in the series.
Netflix responded to the news of Fairstein’s lawsuit in a statement provided to TMZ that read: “Linda Fairstein’s frivolous lawsuit is without merit. We intend to vigorously defend ‘When They See Us’ and Ava DuVernay and Attica Locke, the incredible team behind the series.”
