Theresa Lund, the director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative at Harvard University, has publicly apologized after she was filmed confronting Alyson Laliberte — a neighbor whose daughter was playing outside her home. While being filmed, Lund asked Laliberte if she lived “in one of the affordable units.”
Laliberte uploaded the clip of the incident — which happened on Saturday, July 14 — to Facebook, where it has been viewed over one million times at the time of this writing.
Lund has since been dubbed #PermitPatty on social media: a name given to the recent slew of middle-aged white women who have been recorded on camera engaging in similar behavior.
via Facebook:
Y’all here is another Permit Patty trying to kick me off my own property because she’s having a hard time getting her kids to take a nap at 3:30 in the afternoon on a Saturday. I’m outside enjoying the afternoon with my daughter when this women came downstairs and asked me if I would move so her kids can nap. Mind you it’s mid day and we weren’t even being loud at all drawing with chalk. She followed me around and harassed me trying to get my information and apartment number as if she had a right to know. When I wouldn’t tell her she proceeded to ask me if I lived in the “affordable apartments” of the building for Cambridge residents or if I lived in one of the Harvard owned apartments (which is all the same building anyways).
It was totally discriminating and racist of her.. or maybe it was because my daughter is biracial who knows. I have no idea who this woman is and the fact that she thinks she has some kind of authority over me is crazy! She wanted to know what apartment number I lived at so she can yell outside my window to see if I like it (real mature) as you hear her say in the video. This woman’s house is no bigger than mine even if she lives in one of the apartments that are owned by Harvard.
Despite color, where I live, how much money I have she will be buried 6 feet under just like me… Why do people think they are literally better than others? Why does she think she has a right to make us move? If she really did not want to be disturbed she would own a one family house instead of deciding on moving in to a condominium with a bunch of neighbors. I’ve lived in this complex for 15 years. Not one other person complained about my daughter and I. I have no idea who this woman is but if someone knows her please tag her and share this if you agree!!!!
Lund has since posted an apology on her personal Facebook page saying she was “terribly sorry” about her actions and claims she apologized to Laliberte and her daughter in person.
https://www.facebook.com/alyson.laliberte/videos/pcb.10217226212026126/10217226205345959/?type=3&theater
