Attorneys for Covington Catholic High School junior Nick Sandmann, who has been “cleared of wrongdoing” in a confrontation in Washington, D.C. that went viral, have filed a lawsuit against the Washington Post for $250 million over “defamatory” coverage.
An edited viral video that circulated featuring Sandmann and a group of Covington high school students caused a national uproar, led by social media and then picked up by major news agencies, as well as, receiving high-profile scorn from a number of celebrities.
The dissemination of the story led to death threats against Sandmann and his fellow students, as well as, the high school they attend in Kentucky, which was forced to close for two days.
Much of the scorn was amplified by the fact that the students were wearing red, pro-Trump “Make America Great Again” baseball caps, portraying the students as racist aggressors, and condemning their Christian school.
However, the following day, a new, longer and unedited video surfaced that completely changed the false narrative that had been widely reported.
The video showed that Nathan Phillips, the elderly Native American veteran that the students were alleged to be taunting and intimidating, was in fact, the one who had confronted the students and that Phillips was apparently lying in his statements about the nature of the incident.
Now, an independent investigation launched after the event has cleared Sandmann and his fellow students from any wrongdoing.
“The Post wrongfully targeted and bullied Nicholas because he was the white, Catholic student wearing a red ‘Make America Great Again’ souvenir cap on a school field trip to the January 18 March for Life in Washington, D.C. when he was unexpectedly and suddenly confronted by Nathan Phillips (‘Phillips’), a known Native American activist, who beat a drum and sang loudly within inches of his face (‘the January 18 incident’),” read the lawsuit filed on Sandmann’s behalf by attorneys Todd V. McMurtry and L. Lin Wood in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Sandmann’s lawyer Wood announced on Twitter that more lawsuits would be forthcoming. Wood said he plans to begin filing defamation lawsuits against several news outlets this week.
“Nick Sandmann is 16 years old has 2+ years to identify accusers sue them,” Wood wrote. “No member of mainstream social media mob who attacked him should take comfort from not being sued in initial round of lawsuits which will commence next week. Time is Nick’s friend, not his enemy.”
It is speculated that individuals and media outlets that could face lawsuits include, CNN, The New York Times, Jim Carrey, Alyssa Milano, Bill Maher, Kathy Griffin, and potential Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren.
