Rachel Evans
In 2019, Covington Catholic High School student Nick Sandmann sued several media outlets for defamation, including CNN and The Washington Post, for their coverage of an incident between Sandmann and Native American activist Nathan Phillips at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Sandmann sought $275 million in damages from CNN and $250 million from The Washington Post, alleging that they had falsely portrayed him as the instigator of the confrontation and contributed to the cyberbullying he experienced afterward. While CNN settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount, a federal judge initially dismissed the suit against The Washington Post before it was partially reinstated.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Covington Catholic boy | Nick Sandmann |
| Nick Sandmann's age at the time of the incident | 16 |
| Nick Sandmann's age at the time of filing the lawsuit | 17 |
| Nick Sandmann's age at the time of the lawsuit being dismissed | 18 |
| Name of the school | Covington Catholic High School |
| Location of the school | Park Hills, Kentucky |
| Name of the Native American activist | Nathan Phillips |
| Date of the incident | 18 January 2019 |
| Location of the incident | Lincoln Memorial, Washington |
| Nick Sandmann's cap | "Make America Great Again" |
| Amount sued for | $250 million |
| Amount sought in compensation | $50 million |
| Amount sought in punitive damages | $200 million |
| Media outlets sued | CNN, The Washington Post, NBC News, Gannett, ABC, CBS, The New York Times, Rolling Stone magazine |
| Status of the lawsuit against CNN | Settled for an undisclosed amount |
| Status of the lawsuit against The Washington Post | Dismissed |
| Status of the lawsuit against NBC | Pending |
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What You'll Learn
Nick Sandmann sued CNN for $275 million
Nick Sandmann, a Covington Catholic High School student, sued CNN for $275 million, claiming defamation over its coverage of an incident that occurred during the previous year's March for Life. The incident in question involved a viral video of Sandmann in an encounter with Omaha tribe elder Nathan Phillips, who was beating a hand-held drum and singing at the Indigenous Peoples March at the Lincoln Memorial on January 18, 2019. Sandmann, wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, stood inches away from Phillips, smiling. The video sparked widespread controversy as photos of the teenager spread across social media, with many accusing Sandmann and his classmates of blocking and harassing Phillips.
However, a second video that surfaced later provided additional context, revealing that the Covington Catholic students had been responding to taunts by a third group, the Black Hebrew Israelites. Despite this new information, Sandmann and his family faced intense backlash, including death threats and insults. They claimed that CNN and other media outlets had smeared and vilified Sandmann, contributing to cyber-bullying and assault. The lawsuit against CNN accused the network of having a ""biased agenda" against President Trump and targeting Sandmann because he was perceived to be a supporter of the president.
In response to the lawsuit, CNN settled for an undisclosed amount, avoiding a lengthy and potentially unpredictable trial. While settlements are typically confidential, Sandmann's settlement with CNN was almost made public due to a unique set of circumstances. At the time of the settlement, Sandmann was still a minor, and the COVID-19 pandemic caused court delays, pushing the finalization of the settlement until after his 18th birthday. On that day, Sandmann announced on Twitter that the lawsuit had been settled, without disclosing the amount.
In addition to the lawsuit against CNN, Sandmann and his family also filed defamation lawsuits against several other media outlets, including The Washington Post, NBC Universal, and twelve individuals. They accused these outlets of defaming Sandmann for political purposes and contributing to the cyber-bullying he experienced. The lawsuits sought substantial damages, with the suit against The Washington Post seeking $250 million, the same amount Amazon founder Jeff Bezos paid to purchase the newspaper in 2013.
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Sandmann also sued the Washington Post for $250 million
On January 18, 2019, a filmed encounter between Covington Catholic High School student Nick Sandmann and a Native American activist, Nathan Phillips, went viral online. The video showed Sandmann, wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, smiling inches away from Phillips, who was chanting and beating a drum.
The video caused immediate outrage, with many interpreting the footage as Sandmann and his classmates mocking and intimidating Phillips. However, extended footage revealed that another group had initially taunted the students, who responded back.
In the aftermath of the incident, Sandmann received death threats, insults, and cyberbullying via social media. He and his family sued several media outlets, including CNN and NBC, for defamation and biased coverage, seeking substantial damages.
The Washington Post denied the allegations, stating that they would review the lawsuit. A federal judge initially dismissed the case, ruling that the claims were not supported by the language in the article. However, Sandmann's attorneys appealed the decision, arguing that the law must protect minors from journalists publishing sensationalized news.
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The lawsuit against CNN was settled for an undisclosed amount
In January 2019, a filmed encounter between Covington Catholic High School student Nicholas Sandmann and Native American activist Nathan Philips went viral. The video showed Sandmann, wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, smiling inches away from Phillips, who was beating a drum. The clip caused immediate outrage, particularly on social media, with many believing that the students were mocking Phillips. However, extended footage revealed that another group had initially taunted the students, and they were responding.
Following the incident, Sandmann and his family sued various media outlets, including CNN, for defamation and biased coverage. They claimed that CNN falsely portrayed Sandmann as the "face of an unruly hate mob" and targeted him because he was a supporter of President Donald Trump. Sandmann sought $275 million in compensatory and punitive damages from CNN.
On January 7, 2020, it was announced that CNN had reached a settlement with Sandmann, although the amount was not disclosed. The settlement was confirmed by Sandmann in a tweet, which received a largely supportive response.
The lawsuit against CNN was part of a series of legal actions taken by the Sandmann family against media organizations, including The Washington Post, NBC News, and twelve individuals, for allegedly defamatory statements. The family's lawsuit against NBC is still pending, and they have also filed suits against other prominent media outlets.
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The Washington Post settled a similar lawsuit with Sandmann
On July 24, 2020, The Washington Post settled a $250 million lawsuit filed by Nick Sandmann, a Covington Catholic student, for an undisclosed amount. The lawsuit, filed on February 19, 2019, accused the newspaper of defamation and targeting the student for political purposes in its coverage of an incident with Native American activist Nathan Phillips at the Lincoln Memorial on January 18, 2019.
The incident in question occurred during a school trip to Washington, D.C., where Sandmann, wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, stood face-to-face with Phillips, who was beating a drum and chanting. Initial media reports, including by The Washington Post, portrayed Sandmann and his classmates as instigators of racism and intimidation. However, extended footage revealed a more complex situation, indicating that the students had been responding to taunts by another group.
Sandmann's lawsuit against The Washington Post alleged that the newspaper contributed to cyber-bullying and public ridicule directed at him. It claimed that the Post wrongfully characterised him as the aggressor and published seven articles and tweets with a false and defamatory gist about the encounter. The lawsuit sought $50 million in compensation for damages and $200 million in punitive damages to punish the newspaper.
The Washington Post, while admitting no wrongdoing, agreed to settle the lawsuit. Spokesperson Kris Coratti stated that they were "pleased to have reached a mutually agreeable resolution." Sandmann's attorneys also expressed satisfaction, noting that the Post had been quick to publish the whole truth through its follow-up coverage and editor's notes. The details of the settlement were not disclosed, and it is unknown if Sandmann received any monetary compensation.
The settlement with The Washington Post marked the second resolution for Sandmann, who had previously reached an undisclosed settlement with CNN in January 2020. He also had outstanding lawsuits against several other media outlets, including NBC, ABC News, CBS News, and The New York Times, as part of a series of legal actions seeking a total of $1.25 billion in damages.
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Sandmann's family also sued NBC News
The Sandmann family also sued NBC News for allegedly making defamatory statements. Nick Sandmann, a Covington Catholic High School student, was at the centre of a viral video controversy involving Native American activist Nathan Phillips. The video showed Sandmann wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat and smiling just inches away from Phillips, who was beating a drum. The clip caused immediate outrage, particularly on social media, with many accusing Sandmann and his classmates of ridiculing and intimidating Phillips. However, extended footage revealed that another group had taunted the students, and the Covington students had responded.
Sandmann and his family sued various media outlets, including CNN, The Washington Post, and NBC Universal, for their coverage of the incident. They argued that these outlets had defamed Sandmann and contributed to the cyber-bullying he experienced after the story gained national attention. The Sandmanns sought hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, with $275 million sought from CNN and $250 million from The Washington Post.
In the case of NBC News, Sandmann's lawsuit alleged that the network had a “well-known and easily documented biased agenda against President Trump" and had targeted his son because he was perceived to be a supporter of the president. The lawsuit also claimed that NBC News had engaged in "a modern-day form of McCarthyism" by competing with other networks to lead a "mainstream and social media mob of bullies" against Sandmann.
The outcome of the Sandmann family's lawsuit against NBC News is unclear from the sources. However, it is known that CNN settled with the family for an undisclosed amount, and a federal judge partially reinstated the suit against The Washington Post after initially dismissing it on First Amendment grounds.
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Frequently asked questions
Nicholas Sandmann sued CNN for $275 million in damages.
Nick Sandmann sued The Washington Post for $250 million.
The CNN lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount.
A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit against The Washington Post.
