Nick Sandmann, the Covington Catholic High School student who was at the center of a viral confrontation with a Native American elder in Washington, D.C., last month, has sued The Washington Post for $250 million over its coverage of the confrontation.
The defamation lawsuit accuses the Post of having “targeted and bullied” Sandmann, who was in Washington for the March for Life and came into contact with Nathan Phillips, a Native American elder who was there for the Indigenous People’s March.
{mosads}Sandmann, who was wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, could be seen on video standing close to Phillips and smirking.
Sandmann’s lawsuit claims that the Post published “a series of false and defamatory print and online articles.”
The lawsuit also claims that the Post targeted him in an effort to “advance its well-known and easily documented, biased agenda” against President Trump. The suit says that the newspaper wanted to “lead the charge against this child because he was a pawn in its political war against its political adversary.”
A spokesperson for the Post said the newspaper is reviewing the lawsuit and plans “to mount a vigorous defense.”
According to the lawsuit, Sandmann is seeking $50 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages. The suit claims that the Post’s coverage “directly and proximately caused substantial and permanent damage to Nicholas” and that Sandmann suffered “permanent harm to his reputation.”