‘Central Park Five’ Members Sue Trump for Defamation After Debate Comments
Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a campaign rally at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on October 15, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Kevin Dietsch Getty Images
‘Central Park Five’ Members Sue Trump for Defamation After Debate Comments
Members of the Central Park Five have filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump over statements he made regarding their 1989 case during a presidential debate last month. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Philadelphia, claims that Trump’s remarks were “false and defamatory.”
Allegations in the Lawsuit
The five men—Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, and Korey Wise—allege that Trump acted with “reckless disregard” for the truth when he claimed during the September debate with Vice President Kamala Harris that they had pleaded guilty to the crimes associated with the beating and rape of a woman in New York City. Trump also stated that the teens “badly hurt a person, killed a person” in the attack.
The lawsuit emphasizes that the plaintiffs never pleaded guilty to the Central Park assaults; instead, they maintained their innocence throughout their trials and subsequent incarceration. The attorneys for the men noted, “None of the victims of the Central Park assaults were killed.”
Emotional Distress and Damages
The men are seeking both compensatory and punitive damages, asserting that Trump’s comments placed them in a false light and caused them to “suffer severe emotional distress.” They argue that the pressure they faced led to false confessions in the case, from which they were later exonerated in 2002 when DNA evidence identified another individual as the perpetrator. The group previously settled a lawsuit against New York City in 2014 for $41 million.
Trump’s History with the Case
Trump has been vocal about the Central Park Five case since it gained national attention in the late 1980s. At that time, he purchased full-page ads in several New York City newspapers, calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty and urging strong police action. His editorial stance has been criticized for its racial undertones, particularly as it pertained to the young men who were wrongfully convicted.
During the recent debate, Vice President Harris referenced Trump’s past actions, stating, “Let’s remember, this is the same individual who took out a full-page ad in The New York Times calling for the execution of five young Black and Latino boys who were innocent.” An exhibit of one of these ads was included in the lawsuit.
Continued Controversy
Trump has continued to express his views on the case throughout his political career. In a 2016 interview with CNN, he reiterated his belief that the Central Park Five had admitted guilt. Furthermore, in an op-ed for the New York Daily News in 2014, he criticized the city’s settlement with the men, calling it “a disgrace.”
As the lawsuit unfolds, the Central Park Five members aim to hold Trump accountable for what they describe as damaging and defamatory statements that have perpetuated the injustices they suffered.
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