Cincinnati Enquirer
by Cameron Knight
July 24, 2020
Excerpt:
The Washington Post and Nick Sandmann have settled a libel and slander lawsuit stemming from coverage of the Northern Kentucky teen, who became the center of a social media firestorm in 2019.
Sandmann announced the settlement on Twitter on Friday, which also happened to be his 18th birthday.
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Sandmann and his attorneys argued that the gist of a Washington Post article falsely conveyed that Sandmann had assaulted or physically intimidated Nathan Phillips and engaged in racist conduct.
The suit said the paper’s coverage was like a “modern-day form of McCarthyism.”
Sandmann’s attorneys claimed The Post incorrectly characterized the teen as the aggressor in the situation and exposed him to public ridicule.
The lawsuit was at first dismissed in federal court, but then was allowed to continue on a limited basis examining specific statements that said Sandmann “blocked” Phillips and “would not allow him to retreat.”
In a tweet Friday, Sandmann said: “The fight isn’t over. 2 down. 6 to go.”
CNN has settled with Sandmann in January. The details of that settlement were private.
There are outstanding lawsuits against NBC, ABC News, CBS News, The New York Times, Rolling Stone and Gannett. The Enquirer is owned by Gannett.
Between all the lawsuits, Sandmann sought $1.25 billion in damages. With the CNN and Washington Post lawsuits settled, he is still seeking $725 million.
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