The New York Times has been ordered to pay millions in damages to a former college basketball player in a defamation lawsuit. An Alabama jury ruled that the Times defamed Kai Spears, a then-18-year-old freshman walk-on player for the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide, by incorrectly linking him to a shooting in a 2023 report.
After a nine-day trial, the jury awarded Spears $9.25 million in damages. The report, authored by Times sportswriter Billy Witz, erroneously identified Spears as a passenger in the car during a January 2023 shooting, which led to the death of 23-year-old Jamea Harris.
The Times issued an editor’s note in June 2023 following Spears’s lawsuit at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. The note clarified that Spears was not present during the shooting and identified the correct individual, team manager Cooper Lee.
Witz relied on an anonymous source who falsely claimed Spears was at the scene. During the trial, Witz testified that this source was considered credible due to their access to relevant case materials. He conceded to the mistake in his report.
The New York Times remarked that it had not lost a U.S. defamation case in over 50 years. A spokesperson expressed disappointment with the verdict, stating it was an honest mistake. The Times is reviewing potential legal options in response to the jury’s decision.