In a significant legal decision, a Texas jury has awarded 19-year-old Asher Vann $3.2 million in damages, finding that he was the victim of a defamatory social media campaign that wrongfully portrayed him as a racist bully. The case, which has garnered considerable attention, stems from an incident during a 2021 birthday sleepover in Plano, Texas.
According to court documents, during the sleepover at Haggard Middle School, Vann and other eighth-graders were involved in pranking their classmate SeMarion Humphrey, which included tricking Humphrey into drinking urine. The prank, captured on Snapchat, escalated when allegations of BB gun shootings and racial slurs surfaced. The video and subsequent claims quickly spread across social media and national news, leading to public outcry for criminal charges and expulsion of the teenagers.
Summer Smith, Humphrey's mother, along with her attorney, Kim Cole, were active in publicizing the allegations, asserting the actions were racially motivated. Despite the uproar and intense scrutiny, law enforcement's investigation did not result in arrests or charges against the teenagers.
In response, Vann filed a civil lawsuit against Smith and Cole, claiming their actions amplified a harmful narrative that inflicted severe emotional distress and invaded his privacy. Jurors sided with Vann after hearing the case, leading to the multi-million dollar judgment in his favor.
Following the verdict, Vann, now a college freshman, addressed the media, expressing regret over his actions, emphasizing that they were not racially motivated but rather a result of immaturity. He candidly acknowledged the irreparable harm the incident and its aftermath had on his formative years, despite the jury's decision.
Smith has announced her intention to appeal the verdict, maintaining her stance that defending her son was the correct action. She also expressed regret for any threats or harassment Vann experienced as a consequence of her public statements but stood by her characterization of the acts as vile.
The case has sparked a broader conversation about the power of social media in shaping public perception and the consequences of viral narratives. Jonathan Turley, a legal scholar, highlighted the significant media silence following the jury's ruling, suggesting a discrepancy in coverage compared to the initial incident's reporting.
