The First Black Woman Student President At American University Wins $725K In Case Against Neo-Nazi Internet Trolls

Written by @saywooord

Taylor Dumpson, former student body president at American University, has won her court case against a Neo-Nazi website owner and one of his followers, securing a judgment of $725,000.

On May 1, 2017, Dumpson had been awarded student body president, the first Black woman to hold the position. The same day a masked man hung bananas from nooses on AU’s campus, including racist messages throughout. Days later Andrew Anglin, founder of Daily Stormer, posted an article on the topic, which included Dumpson’s name and photo, with links to her facebook account directed to his followers, influencing them to troll Dumpson, as said in the complaint. 

Dumpson’s lawyers state the campaign was “designed to intimidate and place Ms. Dumpson in fear for her safety.” In fact, since the incident, Dumpson said she suffers from PTSD and was left feeling unsafe using public spaces on campus as a result. 

As a result, a judge ruled in favor of Dumpson, forcing Anglin and his follower, Brian Ade, to pay up. 

Neither of the defendants showed up to court, according to the lead lawyers on the case, and because of this, the judge ordered a default judgment in favor of Dumpson.

“One of the things that’s important to recognize is that online hate has real-world consequences. We often think of the internet as this wild west where anything goes, and that’s not the case,” David Ryan Brody, of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the lead attorney in the case told DCist. “There are laws that apply. And when white supremacists take to the internet to attack people of color there are real consequences that have to be addressed.”

The judge awarded compensatory damages of over $10K, punitive damages of $500K, and attorney fees and other costs of more than $124K. The judge also implemented a restraining order against Anglin and his LLC, Moonbase Holdings, and Ade. Neither are allowed to contact Dumpson or publish any public statements about her that are harassing, intimidating, or defamatory, per the order.