CHARLOTTE, NC – The family of the boy involved in the Ardrey Kell incident in March has filed a civil lawsuit for libel, slander, defamation, assault and battery, and intentional and emotional distress.
The lawsuit, filed in the Mecklenburg County Superior Court, names the girl involved in the incident, her parents, their family spokesperson Jibril Hough and others stemming from statements made to the public, on social media and on multiple news outlets.
The lawsuit states the conduct of the alleged defendants was “deliberate, grossly negligent, in bad faith, and done with a conscious or reckless disregard for the rights and safety of others.”
The complaint continues, noting that defendants “knowingly communicated the statements… causing it to be repeated so that it reached more persons other than the Plaintiff.”
The lawsuit points out various blatantly false, inflammatory statements, including continued allegations that the incident was a hate crime, despite statements made by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department and the FBI claiming there was no hate crime.
The boy’s attorney’s said other false statements publicly made by the girl’s family and their spokespersons alleged the minor boy was charged for the incident; made racial and religious slurs; used steroids; and called the incident a ‘brutal beating’ – despite the girl assaulting the boy first, initiating the fight.
As a result of the claims the attorneys said the boy’s home has been vandalized, and his family has received threatening phone calls and messages after their personal contact information was shared on social media.
The family of the boy is seeking actual, compensatory and punitive damages.
