16-year-old Nicholas Sandmann from Covington, Kentucky has sued Washington Post for defamation.
He said the newspaper falsely accused him of racist acts and starting confrontation with a Native American activist at the Lincoln Memorial.
The lawsuit seeks $250 million in damages, the amount Jeff Bezos paid for the Post in 2013. It also claims the newspaper ‘wrongfully targeted and bullied’ the 16-year-old to advance its bias against President Trump as Sandmann is a white Catholic who wore a MAGA (Make America Great Again) cap on a school field trip to the March for Life pro-life rally on Jan. 18.
The newspaper’s vice president for communications Kristine Coratti Kelly said: “We are reviewing a copy of the lawsuit and we plan to mount a vigorous defense.”
In the photo that has gone viral, Sandmann is seen standing in front of a Native American activist Nathan Philipps. The teen stares and smiles at him while Phillips plays his drum and sings.
The photo quickly sparked outrage on social media. The Post reported that the teens ‘surrounded’ and ‘taunted’ Phillips.
The Washington Post claimed that a ‘smirking’ Sandmann stood in the Native American’s path and blocked him from moving.
But a video of the events showed a different story, showing the schoolboys were subjected to racist abuse by Black Hebrew Israelites, before Phillips walked to the group of students and played his drum directly in front of Sandmann.
Sandmann’s lawyer, Lin Wood, said in a statement that additional similar lawsuits would also be filed against other parties.
A private investigation firm also found in a report no evidence the schoolboys provoked a confrontation. The report said the students were met at the Lincoln Memorial by negative remarks from members of the Black Hebrew Israelites.
In a letter to parents, Covington Bishop Roger Foys said the students ‘were placed in a situation that was at once bizarre and even threatening.’
“The immediate world-wide reaction to the initial video led almost everyone to believe that our students had initiated the incident and the perception of those few minutes of video became reality,” the bishop wrote.
What are your thoughts on this matter? Let us know in the comments section and SHARE this with your family and friends!
Recommended Video –“Mom Sings Impromptu Karaoke At Sam’s Club And Becomes Viral Sensation Overnight”