Family of Kansas City Chiefs Fan Sues Deadspin Over Blackface Story
YIKES
The family said their son’s grades dropped and the family had to consider moving out of the state over the “onslaught of negative attention” brought on by the discredited story.
A family is taking legal action against Deadspin after one of the sports media outlet’s writers accused their 9-year-old son of racism for wearing a headdress and painting his face red and black in support of the team last year. Raul and Shannon Armenta filed a defamation suit in Delaware on Tuesday over Carron Phillips’ November story, in which the Deadspin reporter said their son had “found a way to hate Black people and the Native Americans at the same time.” The Armentas previously accused Deadspin of intentionally choosing a photo that only showed the black paint in order to “create division.” They have also said their son, Holden, is a member of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, something the tribe has confirmed. In the family’s complaint, obtained by TMZ, the Armentas said they repeatedly requested that Deadspin retract the story, only to be stonewalled. As the negative attention compounded as a result of the story, Holden’s grades slipped and he began showing signs of “emotional damage,” the suit claims. The family are seeking unspecified damages.
