• by Ray Schultz , February 7, 2024

Gannett claims the $25 million jury verdict against it in an Oklahoma defamation case was the result of judicial errors and a flawed trial process, and it plans to appeal.  

The publisher argues that no credible evidence was presented showing that its paper, The Oklahoman, was aware that its report was false or that it sought to harm the plaintiff. 

In any case, the damages are covered by insurance and will not have a material impact on Gannett’s financials or liquidity, the company adds.

The Muskogee County jury awarded $25 million – $5 million in compensatory damages and $20 million in punitive damages – to Scott Sapulpa, a former assistant football coach who was misidentified as the speaker of racist remarks during a high school girls’ basketball game.

The incident occurred in 2021. A report in The Oklahoman had wrongly identified Sapulpa as making racist comments during a kneeling incident involving the Norman High School team. 

The jury also found that the newspaper intentionally inflicted emotional distress.