First Black Female University Student President Seeks $1.8M In Punitive Damages From Neo-Nazi Website Creator
The first black female student president of American University is seeking $1.8 million in court-ordered fees, damages, and costs from neo-Nazi website founder Andrew Anglin after he allegedly initiated an internet harassment campaign against the university student, per a report from The New York Times.
On Monday, Taylor Dumpson and her attorneys asked a federal judge for a default judgment against the website founder after not receiving a response to the lawsuit she filed against him last April. Dumpson claims that Anglin, founder of The Daily Stormer, and a follower of his website harassed her on popular social media site Twitter.
The original lawsuit claimed that Anglin instructed his followers to harass Dumpson after she was elected student government president in May of 2017.
“In the article, Anglin targeted Ms. Dumpson using racist language and directed his followers to ‘troll storm’ Ms. Dumpson by harassing her via social media.”
As a result of the cyberbullying, Dumpson claimed that she received a frightening amount of hate mail and threatening messages that left her severely traumatized.
We're representing this brave Black woman in her fight for justice.#SecuringJusticeForAll https://t.co/8OgmQ0aW7V
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In December of 2018, Dumpson reached a settlement with a third member of Anglin’s following, Evan James McCarty, who she alleged took part in the cyberbullying that Anglin orchestrated. McCarthy was ordered to attend anti-hate training sessions and issue a public apology to the 22-year-old university student. Additionally, he agreed to participate in 200 hours of community service and become an advocate against hate.
In Monday’s court filing, Dumpson’s lawyers, a group of attorneys from the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, asked the judge to award $101,429 in compensatory damages against Anglin, his company, and the other defendant, Brian Andrew Ade, in addition to $124,022 in attorneys’ fees, among other fees and damages.
Executive director and president of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Kristen Clarke expressed in a statement that she hopes the lawsuit will deter other white supremacists who use the internet as a way to spew their hatred and that they will be held accountable in the future for their actions.
“We see no reason to tread lightly here. We have a client who suffered immensely due to the defendant’s conduct.”
After the December settlement, Clarke echoed a similar sentiment, reported Delmarva Now at the time.
“At the end of the day, our settlement should send a strong message to white supremacists and neo-Nazis all across the country that they will be held accountable for their conduct.”
