Judge Dismisses Covington Student’s $250 Million Lawsuit Against Washington Post

A federal judge has dismissed a $250 million libel lawsuit against the Washington Post filed by a Covington Catholic High School student.

Nicholas Sandmann was part of a group of high schoolers who went to Washington DC to attend a pro-life march this past January. While there, Sandmann — who was wearing a Make America Great Again hat — was filmed standing face-to-face with Indian elder Nathan Phillips.

According to the filing, which calls for $250 million compensatory and punitive damages, Sandmann claimed WaPo‘s reporting on the incident in numerous stories were both false and defamatory.

Judge William O. Bertelsman, citing the First Amendment, disagreed.

“Few principles of law are as well-established as the rule that statements of opinion are not actionable in libel actions,” Bertelsman wrote, per the Post‘s reporting tonight. “The statements that Sandmann challenges constitute protected opinions that may not form the basis for a defamation claim.”

Sandmann’s father, Ted, says he plans on appealing the ruling.

In a statement published by WaPo, Sandmann’s dad called it a matter of “vital national importance” and vowed to continue to fight for “justice for my son and family.”

“If what was done to Nicholas is not legally actionable, then no one is safe,” he warned.

[image via screengrab]

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