New York Times Loses Defamation Case to Former Basketball Player

An Alabama jury has ruled against The New York Times in a defamation case filed by former University of Alabama basketball player Kai Spears. The jury awarded Spears $9.25 million after finding the Times defamed him in a report linking him to a fatal shooting.

The case centers around a March 2023 article by sportswriter Billy Witz. The article incorrectly claimed Spears was present in a January 2023 shooting incident that resulted in the death of Jamea Harris. Spears was, in fact, misidentified as being a passenger in the car involved in the shooting.

The original article published on March 15 identified the wrong individual as being at the scene of the shooting. Alabama’s athletic director and Spears’s father refuted the claim, but initial reviews by the Times did not lead to an article update.

In June 2023, after the lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, the Times added an editor’s note correcting the error. Further investigation revealed that it was actually Cooper Lee, a student manager for the team, who was at the scene, not Spears.

The article’s author, Billy Witz, testified that the report was based on information from a high-level anonymous source. This source provided details suggesting someone on the basketball team was involved, leading to Spears’ wrongful identification.

In its report on the jury’s verdict, the Times expressed disappointment with the decision, emphasizing it was an honest mistake. The publication is considering its legal options as it reviews the evidence presented.

This decision marks the first time in over 50 years that The New York Times has lost a defamation lawsuit in the United States related to its reporting. Spears’ legal representatives did not offer immediate comments on the jury’s ruling.