Nicholas Sandmann, the Covington Catholic high school teen whose family sued a group of major media companies and individual media figures after narratives shifted about his face-to-face depiction with a Native American protester, on Friday tweeted that he was settling his case against the Washington Post.
We have settled with WAPO and CNN.
The fight isn’t over. 2 down. 6 to go.
Don’t hold your breath @jack.
— Nicholas Sandmann (@N1ckSandmann) July 24, 2020
The tweet indicates his cases against several others in the media remain outstanding and ongoing.
The case against the Washington Post was thrown out by a trial court judge who later reinstated the matter on more narrow grounds.
Though referenced in the tweet, Sandmann settled his case against CNN in January.
A Washington Post spokesperson said the paper was “pleased” with the “mutually agreeable resolution of the remaining claims in this lawsuit,” CNN reported.
“Nicholas Sandmann agreed to settle with the Post because the Post was quick to publish the whole truth—through its follow-up coverage and editor’s notes,” said Todd McMurtry, one of Sandmann’s attorneys.
The Post, when seeking to get the case dismissed, said that its reporting was incomplete at first but quickly corrected course.
“It was neither false nor defamatory . . . for the Post to report the comments of eyewitnesses, including the only participants who were speaking publicly about the matter on the day that videos of the event went viral on the internet,” the motion for dismissal argued. “Newspapers are often unable to publish a complete account of events when they first come to light. Stories often develop over time, as more witnesses emerge.”
The settlement amount is confidential. Sandmann originally sought $250 million.
Reaction from Sandmann’s supporters was overwhelmingly positive.
Well done, kiddo! pic.twitter.com/xZ5ccldJBw
— Deb (@debra675) July 24, 2020
Amazing! Keep it up!
And happy birthday Nick!
— Courtney 🇺🇸 (@hollandcourtney) July 24, 2020
Great job!! I remember you on the news (and my son had just returned from the March). I said, he didn’t do anything wrong!! I was so angry that they twisted it. Be well and continue being that nice catholic school boy! Hope to see you at next year’s March!
— Fran (@franmc_fran) July 24, 2020
Please take some of your winnings cash and invest it in your lawyers making “new law” in the area of defamation by media. You are the perfect Plaintiff. Ride it out.
— Jim Barton (@buckeyebuddy1) July 24, 2020
Congrats! (See how God works when you trust Him?) pic.twitter.com/fSEBLTt2KD
— Joseph A Springer (@1stSSF) July 24, 2020
[image via YouTube screengrab.]
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