Nick Sandmann's settlement with CNN was almost public. A birthday and a pandemic changed that

It's a question a lot of folks have Googled: How much did Northern Kentucky teen Nick Sandmann get from CNN?

In January, the cable news network reached a settlement with Sandmann, a Covington Catholic High School student who sued for $275 million, saying it defamed him over coverage of a viral video.

Usually, settlements are confidential. But this one was almost released through a Kenton County probate case because, at the time, Sandmann was a minor and couldn't claim the money.

Due to COVID-19 court delays, he was able to celebrate his 18th birthday and, no longer a minor, claim the money himself, according to court documents. On his birthday, Sandmann announced on Twitter that the Washington Post settled its lawsuit as well. 

In March, the teen sued five more outlets, including Gannett, which is the parent company of The Enquirer.

The national interest in the teen began in January 2019 when news outlets reported on a viral video of Sandmann at an incident at the Lincoln Memorial. Since then, his family sued many media companies for defamation, he got a shout out from President Donald Trump and was scheduled to speak Tuesday at the Republican National Convention. 

Why CNN settlement secret

Sandmann sued CNN and other media outlets after a social media firestorm when he was filmed with Native American elder Nathan Phillips in Washington, D.C.

A video shows Sandmann and Phillips standing close to each other in a crowd. Sandmann stares at Phillips as Phillips plays a drum. The situation unfolded after the March for Life on Jan. 18, which Sandmann and his classmates from the parochial Park Hills School attended. Phillips was attending the Indigenous Peoples March. 

The Sandmann lawsuit against CNN stated: "CNN brought down the full force of its corporate power, influence, and wealth on Nicholas by falsely attacking, vilifying, and bullying him despite the fact that he was a minor child."

In January, CNN settled.

Sandmann needed a guardian to claim the settlement for him. In February, the family started the process to claim the money in Kenton County probate court, according to court documents. 

That process was delayed because the COVID-19 pandemic closed in-person hearings. The family had a virtual hearing scheduled.

Then, Sandmann's parents and CNN decided to wait for Sandmann's 18th birthday in July to finish the settlement and keep it confidential, according to court documents. 

In May, the family and CNN stopped that process because Sandmann's birthday was just three months away, which meant the settlement could be confidential. 

"As a result of the delays caused by COVID-19, with Nicholas’ eighteenth birthday just three months away in July 2020, and in light of the parties’ joint desire to ensure the confidentiality of the settlement, the parties to the Lawsuit will wait until Nicholas’ eighteenth birthday to consummate the settlement," Sandmann's attorney, Todd McMurtry, wrote in court documents. 

Julia is the Northern Kentucky government reporter through the Report For America program. Anonymous donors pledged to cover the local donor portion of her grant-funded position with The Enquirer. If you want to support Julia's work, you can donate to her Report For America position at this website or email her editor Carl Weiser at cweiser@cincinna.gannett.com to find out how you can help fund her work. 

Do you know something she should know? Send her a note at jfair@enquirer.com and follow her on twitter at @JFair_Reports.

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