Judge dismisses libel suit against Washington Post brought by Covington Catholic High School Student

[hlthe2b]

YES! Most will remember this a'hole, his racist fellow students and his wealthy PR mother.

Judge dismisses libel suit against Washington Post brought by Covington Catholic High School student

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/judge-dismisses-libel-suit-against-washington-post-brought-by-covington-catholic-high-school-student/2019/07/26/d02fd6ce-afd3-11e9-8e77-03b30bc29f64_story.html?utm_term=.501d51c36ac8

A federal judge in Kentucky on Friday dismissed a $250 million libel suit against The Washington Post brought by a high school student who claimed that the organization’s coverage of his and his fellow students’ encounter with an American Indian activist at the Lincoln Memorial in January was false and defamatory.

U.S. District Judge William O. Bertelsman ruled that seven Post articles and three of its tweets bearing on Nicholas Sandmann — who was part of a group of Catholic students from Kentucky who came to Washington to march against abortion — were protected by the First Amendment. In analyzing the 33 statements over which Sandmann sued, the judge found none of them defamatory; instead, the vast majority constituted opinion, he said.

“Few principles of law are as well-established as the rule that statements of opinion are not actionable in libel actions,” Bertelsman wrote, adding that the rule is based on First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech. “The statements that Sandmann challenges constitute protected opinions that may not form the basis for a defamation claim.”

Sandmann’s parents, who brought the suit on their son’s behalf, said they would appeal. “I believe fighting for justice for my son and family is of vital national importance,” Ted Sandmann said in a statement. “If what was done to Nicholas is not legally actionable, then no one is safe.”

The Post, in its motion to dismiss the suit, asserted that its stories were accurate and did not impugn the reputation of Sandmann, a Covington Catholic High School student who entered a social media maelstrom after video footage shot during a chaotic afternoon on the Mall showed him standing face-to-face with drumbeating Indian elder Nathan Phillips.

more at the link

[hlthe2b]

1. the comments to the WAPO article are reassuring (at least those I saw)...

[yardwork]

4. WaPo comments are usually reasonable. They do a good job weeding out trolls.

[TruckFump]

2. Little Asshole Trump Lover

He starts the problem, looks like the bigoted POS he in fact is, Mummy and Dada step in to protect his coddled ass and he gets BIGLY exactly what he deserved!

Bravo, Judge!!!

[onecaliberal]

3. Womp womp

[Cicada]

5. Fed court so he must pay wash Post attorney fees

I assume the student has right wing funders

[lark]

6. He's another silver spooner.

Just like his hero, orange traitor tot.

[hlthe2b]

9. Is that true of all civil litigation in Federal court?

[Cicada]

10. I'm not sure

[treestar]

7. that may teach him a good lesson

about bad behavior in public.

[A HERETIC I AM]

8. I'm wondering how much he was counting on the money had he won.

Or rather, what kind of plans did he make, thinking that he was going to be a multi-millionaire in short order!

"I'm gonna buy me a big house and a Ferrari and have all my friends over...."


Nope, sorry kid.

You're just going to be a dopey, bigoted asshole the rest of your life with a Catholic School education.


Best of luck.