"Jury Awards $25 Million to Man Wrongfully Identified as Racist Sports Announcer"

An Oklahoma jury awarded Scott Sapulpa $25 million after the state's largest newspaper mistakenly identified him as the announcer who made racist comments during a 2021 girls basketball game broadcast. The jury found The Oklahoman acted with actual malice, awarding Sapulpa $5 million in actual damages and $20 million in punitive damages. Sapulpa faced threats and harassment after being falsely identified, leading to his virtual termination from his position. The newspaper's owner, Gannett, expressed disappointment with the verdict and plans to appeal, claiming there was no evidence of malicious intent.