Sandmann’s ABC lawsuit characterized the “truth” of the matter as follows:ĪBC’s accusations against Nicholas are totally, provably, and unequivocally false. From Sandmann’s original lawsuit against ABC:ĪBC’s reporting conveyed the false and defamatory charges that Nicholas “stood in way,” “blocked way and wouldn’t allow to retreat,” and that Nicholas “wouldn’t let move,” while a mass of other young white boys “swarm,” taunted, jeered and physically intimidated Phillips.ĪBC’s reporting conveyed, among other things, the false and defamatory gist that Nicholas was the face of an unruly hate mob of hundreds of white, racist high school students who physically assaulted and harassed Native Americans who were engaged in peaceful demonstrations, song and prayer at the National Mall.ĪBC accused Nicholas of behavior constituting menacing racial intimidation of Phillips, a Native American political activist, while Phillips was purportedly engaged in peaceful song and prayer at the Lincoln Memorial. 18, 2019 in Washington, D.C., as nefarious.

The lawsuits alleged that various articles and broadcasts defamed Sandmann by characterizing his actions toward Nathan Phillips, a Native American activist, on Jan. Sandmann sued the five organizations in question - and a few others, including CNN and NBC - on March 2, 2020. Sandmann’s cases against ABC News, Rolling Stone magazine, CBS News, newspaper and television station owner Gannett, and The New York Times are now officially listed as “terminated” on the court record. That’s according to court dockets and an opinion and order signed by a federal judge in the Eastern District of Kentucky on Tuesday. Nick Sandmann, who at the time was a Covington Catholic student, appears in a screengrab taken from a video filed as an exhibit in federal court.Īfter years of politically charged litigation, former Covington Catholic High School student Nick Sandmann has lost a round of high-profile defamation lawsuits against five mainstream media companies at the summary judgment stage.

Lost judgment side cases