"Man Awarded $25M in Libel Suit Against Oklahoma Newspaper"

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. The jury found the newspaper defamed Sapulpa and awarded him $5 million in actual damages and $20 million in punitive damages. The newspaper's owner, Gannett, expressed disappointment with the verdict and plans to appeal, stating that there was no evidence of acting with awareness of falsehood or intention to harm. The incident occurred when an announcer for a livestream made racist remarks, but it was later revealed that the owner of the streaming service was responsible and attributed his language to his blood-sugar levels.