NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A panel of judges is giving what attorneys say is ‘new life’ to the defamation lawsuit filed by former St. Augustine football coach Nathaniel Jones.
On Wednesday, February 16, the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Jones to move forward with the defamation case after a May 2021 ruling that granted ABC News a special motion to strike down the lawsuit.
The case stems from a viral video uploaded in October 2019, showing St. Augustine football players and an assistant coach in a locker room doing a ‘pre-game chant’ using a racial slur. Although Jones, the head football coach at the time, was not in the locker room during the chant, he was later fired by the school.
The same day the video surfaced, ABC News published an online article titled “High school football coach fired after using racial slur in pre-game chant.”
In September 2020, Jones filed a lawsuit, claiming damages for breach of employment contract and defamation of character. He later issued a personal statement, saying he hasn’t used profanity since 1997.
The defendants listed were:
- News website Interactive One
- ABC News
- St. Augustine High School, Inc.
- School president and CEO Kenneth St. Charles
- Roland Martin Unfiltered Productions
- Roland Sebastian Martin (a celebrity media personality)
In May 2021, a trial court allowed for ABC News to strike the suit, claiming no cause of action. However, an appeal was later filed by Jones, leading to the most recent decision announced this week.
While the appellate court dismissed the lawsuit against Interactive One, it did rule in Jones’ favor to move forward with the defamation lawsuit against ABC News. All defendants remain the same with the exception of Interactive One.
Statement by Attorney
My client and I thank the 3-judge panel for giving fair and full consideration to the facts and the
law in this important case. Coach Nathaniel Jones and I knew that suing a company like ABC
News, which is represented by the best local and national attorneys, would be a big challenge.
However, I have never been afraid of pursuing a big case involving “David versus Goliath”. I love
playing David, but I always pray for the right “stones” (or legal strategy) to stop the giant. Thank
God, yesterday’s decision by the Fourth Circuit wounded Goliath. My client and I will continue
the fight for justice against ABC News and the other remaining defendants in this case until justice
is done.
Full Court Document