Almost a year ago, the far left website ‘Deadspin’ accused a 9 year-old Chiefs fan named Holden Armenta of being a racist for wearing what they claimed was blackface.
In fact, the boy’s face was painted with the team’s colors of red and black. His parents vowed to sue.
Gateway Pundit reported at the time:
The parents of 9-year-old Kansas City Chiefs fan Holden Armenta smeared by Deadspin journalist Carron Phillips are threatening to sue the outlet and reporter.
Carron Phillips smeared an innocent child who attended Sunday’s Kansas City vs Las Vegas game by posting a deceptive photo of only one side of his face.
“It takes a lot to disrespect two groups of people at once. But on Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas, a Kansas City Chiefs fan found a way to hate black people and the native americans at the same time,” Phillips wrote accusing the child of ‘blackface.’
The company has since changed owners and many people were fired.
The company also tried to get the lawsuit dismissed, but a judge just said no. The lawsuit can move forward.
The New York Post reports:
Deadspin loses bid to toss defamation suit over article accusing young Chiefs fan of racism
A Delaware judge has refused to dismiss a defamation lawsuit against sports website Deadspin over an article accusing a 9-year-old NFL fan and his family of racism because of his game-day attire.
The lawsuit was filed by California residents Raul Armenta Jr. and his wife, Shannon, on behalf of themselves and their son, Holden, who attended a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Las Vegas Raiders last November.
According to the lawsuit, Holden, referred to in the lawsuit as “H.A.”, is a Chiefs fan who also loves his family’s Chumash-Indian heritage. He wore a Chiefs jersey to the game, with his face painted half-red and half-black, and a costume Native American headdress….
On Monday, Superior Court Judge Sean Lugg denied Deadspin’s motion to dismiss the Armentas’ lawsuit, rejecting arguments that the article was opinion and thus protected from liability for defamation.
“Deadspin published an image of a child displaying his passionate fandom as a backdrop for its critique of the NFL’s diversity efforts and, in its description of the child, crossed the fine line protecting its speech from defamation claims,” the judge wrote.
Deadspin made a huge mistake in attacking this innocent kid and it looks like they may end up paying for it, big time.
Mike LaChance has been covering higher education and politics for Legal Insurrection since 2012. Since 2008 he has contributed work to the Gateway Pundit, Daily Caller, Breitbart, the Center for Security Policy, the Washington Free Beacon, and Ricochet. He has also written for American Lookout, Townhall, and Twitchy.
You can email Mike LaChance here, and read more of Mike LaChance’s articles here.
