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CNN Settles Lawsuit With Covington Catholic Student Nicholas Sandmann

The Kentucky high-school student sued CNN for $275 million, accusing the network of “falsely attacking, vilifying, and bullying him.”

CNN has agreed to settle a lawsuit with Kentucky high-school student Nicholas Sandmann, who claimed that the network falsely accused him and his classmates of “racist conduct” in at least four television broadcasts and nine online articles. The Covington Catholic student sought $800 million from CNN, The Washington Post, and NBC Universal for alleged defamation after a viral video showed an encounter between the group of Kentucky high-schoolers and a Native American leader in Washington, D.C. Sandmann, along with several of his classmates, were wearing “Make America Great Again” hats in the video. A CNN spokesperson confirmed to The Daily Beast that a settlement has been reached but did not comment on details.

Sandmann’s attorney, Lin Wood, said that they also plan to sue Gannett, owners of The Cincinnati Enquirer, within the next 60 days. Sandmann’s attorneys said Sandmann has suffered “emotional distress, damage to reputation and distress to his family” from the alleged defamation. The suit, filed in March 2019, read, “CNN brought down the full force of its corporate power, influence, and wealth on Nicholas by falsely attacking, vilifying, and bullying him despite the fact that he was a minor child,” adding that the network has a “well-known and easily documented biased agenda against President Trump.”