A broadcaster for a high school basketball game in Oklahoma, who was falsely accused of making racist comments, has been awarded $25 million by a jury for defamation. Scott Sapulpa received $5 million in actual damages and an additional $20 million in punitive damages after the jury determined that The Oklahoman acted with malicious intent. The incident took place in 2021 during a game between Norman-Midwest City girls high school basketball teams, where Sapulpa and another individual named Matt Rowan were providing commentary. While the national anthem was playing, the broadcasters announced a brief break. However, one of them was caught on a live microphone using offensive language and racial slurs when the Norman players kneeled. The broadcaster expressed derogatory sentiments towards the players and their actions. Rowan, who was responsible for the live stream, later admitted to making the inappropriate comments due to his fluctuating blood sugar levels caused by his Type 1 Diabetes. Despite this, The Oklahoman falsely identified Sapulpa as the person responsible for the racist remarks in their story. The newspaper published the original article the day after the incident, naming Sapulpa as the offender. However, his name was removed from the story a few hours later. As a result of this false accusation, Sapulpa faced various consequences, including being placed on administrative leave, losing his teaching contract, losing clients for his private business, and receiving death threats. Sapulpa’s attorney expressed satisfaction with the jury’s decision, hoping that it would clear his client’s name. Sapulpa himself expressed relief that his reputation has been restored, not only for himself but also for the sake of his children. In addition to his broadcasting career, Sapulpa is an avid golfer and enjoys spending time on the golf course when he is not working.
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