CBS News reports on Monday's verdict ($5M in actual damages and $20M in punitives), in Sapulpa v. Gannett Co.:
The incident occurred in 2021 before the Norman-Midwest City girls high school basketball game when an announcer for a livestream cursed and called one team by a racial epithet as the players kneeled during the national anthem.
The broadcasters told their listeners on the livestream that they would return after a break. Then one, apparently not realizing the audio was still live, said: "They're kneeling? (Expletive) them," one of the men said. "I hope Norman gets their ass kicked … (Expletive) (epithet)."
Sapulpa, one of two announcers, was initially identified by the newspaper as the person who made the racist comment…. Matt Rowan, the owner and operator of the streaming service, later told The Oklahoman he was the person who made the remarks….
