Covington Catholic High School trainee Nicholas Sandmann revealed Friday that he settled a $275 million defamation claim against NBC.
Neither celebration publicized the terms of the settlement. Nevertheless, Sandmann asked for $275 million in damages in his claim versus NBC Universal and MSNBC.
“At this time I want to release that NBC and I have reached a settlement,” Sandmann tweeted. “The terms are private.”
At this time I wish to launch that NBC and I have reached a settlement. The terms are confidential.
— Nicholas Sandmann (@N1ckSandmann) December 17, 2021
NBC is the third business media company to settle with Sandmann after he and his schoolmates were implicated of mocking Native American activist Nathan Phillips throughout last January’s March for Life occasion. Sandmann was using a red “Make America Great Again” hat while he stood near to Phillips with an obvious smirk on his face that was commonly kept in mind and mocked.
Many in the media painted Sandmanmn as an aggressive racist who initiated the conflict with Phillips. However, an independent examination concludedthere was “no proof that the trainees carried out a ‘Build the wall’ chant.”
In the days after the media’s attacks on Sandmann, witness cellular phone video showed that Phillips at first approached Sandmann. Video likewise showedthat a group of Black Hebrew Israelites faced both Sandmann’s and Phillips’ groups well before the 2 were face to face.
In an interview with NBC, Sandmann explained that he stayed in Phillips’ face because he did not wish to be, as he said:
… deemed disrespectful. Well, now I wish I would have left. I didn’t wish to be rude to Mr. Phillips and walk away if he was trying to talk to me. However certainly I was surrounded by a lot of individuals I didn’t understand that had their phones out, had cameras and I didn’t wish to run into anybody or seem like I was trying to do something.
Sandmann’s attorneys accusedNBC of making “at least fifteen defamatory television broadcasts, six defamatory online articles, and numerous tweets falsely implicating Nicholas and his Covington Catholic High School (‘CovCath’) classmates of racist acts,”
Sandmann’s settlement with NBC follows two settlements with the Washington Postand CNN. He settled the $275 million lawsuit with CNN in January and the $250 million lawsuit against the Washington Postin July.
In 2015, Sandmann’s attorney, Todd McMurtry, stated, “As lots of as 13 other offenders will be submitted.” Other defendants consisted of ABC, CBS, the Guardian, Huffington Post, NPR, the Hill, and smaller sized outlets.