Central Park Five prosecutor says she will resign as a guest lecturer at Columbia Law School

A district attorney who was a prosecutor for the overturned Central Park 5 case resigned from her guest lecture post at Columbia Law School on Wednesday following fallout from the Netflix special. 

Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Lederer announced her resignation in a statement to the school’s dean on Wednesday, citing the miniseries ‘When They See Us’. 

‘I’ve enjoyed my years teaching at CLS, and the opportunity it has given me to interact with the many fine students who elected to take my classes,’ Lederer said in a statement to Dean Gillian Lester.

Vera Farmiga (left) plays Lederer in the series on Netflix

‘However, given the nature of the recent publicity generated by the Netflix portrayal of the Central Park case, it is best for me not to renew my teaching application.’ 

Lederer’s resignation comes after Columbia’s Black Law Students Association released a statement condemning the ‘harmful, racist tactics’ she helped use to convict the five minors.

‘Ava Duvernay’s powerful film has shed light on details of a story some of us know too well,’ the statement reads. ‘But we need to do more than shine a light into darkness if we want to achieve a just, ore equitable world. We need action.’  

Lederer’s resignation comes after Columbia’s Black Law Students Association released a statement condemning the ‘harmful, racist tactics’ she helped use to convict the five minors

‘Ava Duvernay’s powerful film has shed light on details of a story some of us know too well,’ the statement reads. ‘But we need to do more than shine a light into darkness if we want to achieve a just, ore equitable world. We need action’

The statement calls on the school to also do better with teaching law at the university.

Dean Lester acknowledged the letter when putting out Lederer’s statement, commending the commitment of the student union.

Since the release of the new Netflix documentary at the end of May, Lederer and fellow prosecutor Linda Fairstein (pictured) have received an abundance of criticism regarding their handling of the case. Last week, Fairstein was dropped by her publisher as a result of the fallout

In a statement to Bloomberg News, Lester added: ‘The mini-series has reignited a painful—and vital—national conversation about race, identity, and criminal justice. 

‘I am deeply committed to fostering a learning environment that furthers this important and ongoing dialogue, one that draws upon the lived experiences of all members of our community and actively confronts the most difficult issues of our time.’ 

Since the release of the new Netflix documentary at the end of May, Lederer and fellow prosecutor Linda Fairstein have received an abundance of criticism regarding their handling of the case. 

Last week, Fairstein was dropped by her publisher as a result of the fallout.

On Friday,  Dutton’s spokeswoman Amanda Walker confirmed a statement that the publisher’s customer service line has been giving to inquiring callers, saying that it had ‘terminated its relationship’ with the best-selling crime novelist. 

Vera Farmiga plays Lederer in the series.