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Phillies Karen identified and fired from New Jersey school district job? Fact-checking viral claims
Internet sleuths have been working to identify "Phillies Karen," leading to several false claims and mistaken identities.
A woman dubbed “Phillies Karen” went viral last week after “snatching” a home run ball from a young boy during the MLB game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park. Since then, internet sleuths have been working to identify her, leading to several false claims and mistaken identities.
Fact-checking the false claims
The first name widely circulated was Cheryl Richardson-Wagner. She quickly debunked the rumor with a statement on Facebook, “OK everyone...I'm NOT the crazy Philly Mom (but I sure would love to be as thin as she is and move as fast)... and I'm a Red Sox fan.” She even changed her profile photo to the Red Sox logo.
The second name that surfaced was Leslie-Ann Kravitz, who many claimed worked as an administrator at the Hammonton School District in New Jersey. However, the school district issued a statement denying any connection.
"The woman identified on social media as 'Phillies Karen' is not, and has never been an employee of the Hammonton Public Schools located in Hammonton, New Jersey," the statement read. "Social media and news reports indicating that she is, are incorrect."
“Anybody who works for our school district, attended as a student, or lives in our community, would obviously have caught the ball bare-handed in the first place, avoiding the entire situation.”
Also Read: What is the 'Phillies Karen’ identity row? Home run drama explained in 5 points
Additionally, some posts on X and Facebook claimed that the woman had issued a public apology via YouTube.
One viral post read, "BREAKING: Phillies Karen speaks to the public. She says she can't leave her home now because everyone is yelling “Karen Ballsnatcher" at her. She claims it’s not fair how everyone is treating her."
However, this is also false. As of Monday night, the woman remains unidentified and has not released any public statement.
