Sandmann secures victory in $250m. defamation suit against Washington Post
The Covington Catholic High School student has filed eight claims in an overall $800m. suit.
By DONNA RACHEL EDMUNDSA general view of the exterior of The Washington Post Company headquarters in Washington(photo credit: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST)The Washington Post has settled a $250 million defamation lawsuit filed by Covington Catholic High School student Nick Sandmann, who tweeted the result on his 18th birthday.Sandmann was part of a group of Covington students who, following a March for Life rally in Washington DC in early 2019, became involved in a confrontation with a group of counter-protestors. Sandmann, wearing a 'Make American Great Again' cap, was filmed standing his ground Nathan Phillips, an Omaha tribe leader, sang and played a drum.Video clips circulated widely on social media and were quickly picked up by news outlets who framed Sandmann as the aggressor, largely due to Sandmann "smirking" as Phillips confronted him. Sandmann later told NBC Today “I see it [his expression] as a smile saying that this is the best you’re going to get out of me, you won’t get any further reaction or aggression. I wasn’t smirking.”Longer footage clips later showed that the group Phillips was with had approached the students and not the other way around, but the matter polarized Americans; Sandmann and his fellow students received death threats via the internet.On Friday, Sandmann's 18th birthday, he tweeted news of his victory against The Washington Post, thanking his lawyers, family, and "millions of you who have stood your ground by supporting me." He added, "I still have more to do."
On 2/19/19, I filed $250M defamation lawsuit against Washington Post. Today, I turned 18 & WaPo settled my lawsuit. Thanks to @ToddMcMurtry & @LLinWood for their advocacy. Thanks to my family & millions of you who have stood your ground by supporting me. I still have more to do.
The settlement is Sandmann's second win in a wider $800 million battle against eight media outlets. His lawyers initially filed against The Washington Post, CNN, and NBC Universal, later adding Gannett - owner of USA Today and regional outlets - ABC, CBS, The New York Times and Rolling Stone to the suit.In January, CNN settled a separate $275 million claim with Sandmann. The final settlement amounts in both cases have not been revealed.In a follow-up Tweet on Friday, Sandmann also fired a warning shot at Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, tweeting: "The fight isn’t over. 2 down. 6 to go. Don’t hold your breath @jack."
