The New York Times loses its first defamation case in 50 years
A jury has ordered The New York Times (USA) to pay former University of Alabama basketball player Kai Spears $9.25 million in damages for moral damages after the newspaper mistakenly mentioned his name in an article about a 2023 shooting at the university.
The New York Times has lost its first defamation lawsuit in more than 50 years.
The case concerns a shooting near the University of Alabama campus on January 15, 2023, in which a 23-year-old woman was killed and several students were injured by Darius Miles, a member of the university's basketball team. In March, the NYT published a report by a reporter who spoke to witnesses on condition of anonymity. One of the journalist's interlocutors said that another basketball player, Kay Spears, was in a car parked near the campus at the time of the shooting. Soon after, the publication admitted its mistake and pointed out the inaccuracy in the text.
Nevertheless, Spears accused the NYT of defamation, claiming that the newspaper invaded her privacy and caused her severe emotional trauma. The jury found in favor of the plaintiff.
The NYT reported on the verdict, noting that the newspaper had not lost a libel suit over an article in more than 50 years. The publication has also won previous high-profile cases, including those by Sarah Palin and Donald Trump.
NYT spokesman Charlie Stadtlander called the ruling a "blatant error" and said the newspaper was disappointed by the verdict, considered it unjustified, and was considering an appeal.