New York Times correction over a college basketball player wrongly named at the scene of a shooting leads to $9.25 million jury verdict

In a significant legal ruling on Thursday, an Alabama jury awarded $9.25 million in damages to college basketball player Kai Spears, ruling that The New York Times defamed him by falsely reporting his presence at a fatal shooting in Tuscaloosa. The lawsuit, filed by Spears in 2023, stemmed from a Times article that cited an unnamed source and claimed Spears was a passenger in a car involved in the shooting.

The newspaper acknowledged its error in an editor's note shortly after the initial report, correcting the misinformation. Following a nine-day trial at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, the eight-person jury delivered its verdict. Spears' attorney, Matt Glover, expressed satisfaction with the decision, stating that it would set a positive precedent for journalism across the country.

The Times' spokesperson, Charlie Stadtlander, expressed disappointment with the verdict, asserting that it was "contrary to law and not supported by the evidence." Three other Alabama basketball players were present at the January 2023 shooting, which resulted in the death of a 23-year-old mother. Spears alleged that the incorrect reporting caused him emotional distress and negatively associated him with the crime.

The Times has not lost a defamation lawsuit in the United States involving one of its articles in over 50 years, according to a subsequent article in the newspaper.