KENTON RECORDER
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THE COVINGTON CATHOLIC INCIDENT
Doxxed student helped raise $21K for new Catholic refuge Michael Hodge, misidentifi ed at fi rst, moves on with eff orts to help local people in need Max Londberg Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK
Strangers identifi ed a Covington Catholic senior's dream and mobilized to dismantle it. Michael Hodge had applied to Cincinnati State, drawn to the school's culinary arts program. A mob, angered by videos showing Hodge's classmates chanting around a group of Native Americans on the National Mall, found a scapegoat in Hodge. "It was crazy to see all the people, you know, so quick to judge," Hodge, 18, told The Enquirer. Hodge was 500 miles away when his classmates joined the March for Life event and afterward encountered Native Americans and a reported hate group. Hodge had remained in the Cincinnati area for his older brother's wedding. But he was mistakenly identifi ed as another CovCath student, Nick Sandmann. Around the time of the Saturday matrimony, social media users began posting that Hodge aspired to be a chef and had applied to Cincinnati State, using information from school and community magazines. Hundreds sent "hurtful things and threats" to Hodge, he said, and dozens more made harassing calls to his moth-
er, some lobbing gender-based invective. The vitriol felt unrelenting. Police offi cers escorted Hodge to school those fi rst few days back. His mother, Pamela Hodge, feared for his safety. What the strangers didn't know: Hodge's passion for the culinary arts had led him last summer to prepare and serve meals to food-insecure individuals at Mary Rose Mission, a Catholic nonprofi t in Florence. And about six years earlier, Hodge's father, John Hodge, had off ered engineering and architectural advice and a free inspection through his company, Century Construction Inc., to Mary Rose during the renovation of a 100-year old structure. The nonprofi t at fi rst relied solely on volunteers for the project. "They (John Hodge's company) always answered," said Cindy Carris, the executive director of Mary Rose. "A lot of people at that time knew it was me and they would go dark." But last month the family sifted through hundreds of hateful messages, unable emotionally to read them all. Michael Hodge deleted his Facebook account. Century Construction was targeted in the doxing.
"This transpired so quickly, and it's just been a whirlwind of joy." Cindy Carris,
executive director of Mary Rose Mission
"We were in such a bad spot, so negative for so long," said John Hodge. "My wife (Pamela Hodge) said, 'What can we do to change this? Make some good out of this?' " They mulled creating a fundraiser for Mary Rose, to channel the attention away from hate. They feared it would create more unwanted attention, but ultimately decided to go through with it. With donations made by check and through GoFundMe, the family raised more than $20,000. The Hodges made a $250 anonymous donation themselves and later donated $600 more to off set a GoFundMe service fee. On Friday, the family presented a $21,170 check to Carris and Mary Rose. Carris said the money will likely help defray costs associated with purchasing a new facility to serve as a temporary refuge for people in need. The refuge would off er warm beds and opportunities, Carris said. "A lot of times the fear is just trying to survive day-by-day," Carris said. "To make yourself better and get out of it is
Michael Hodgehelped raise $21,000 for Mary Rose Mission, a Catholic nonprofi t and spent last summer cooking for the needy there. JOHN HODGE
too much of a reach." That's where the refuge would help, linking people to support organizations like Brighton Center. Establishing it has been Carris' longtime vision. "This transpired so quickly, and it's just been a whirlwind of joy," Carris said. Michael Hodge said Cincinnati State See REFUGE, Page 10A
Sandmann may face challenges in proving defamation Experts diff er on whether student has a case Max Londberg Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK
Does Nick Sandmann have a case against media outlets, celebrities and journalists? The Covington Catholic High School junior is represented by a nationally recognized attorney, L. Lin Wood, who has experience in defamation lawsuits. Wood told The Enquirer by email this week that the Sandmann family's legal team, which includes Northern Kentucky-based Todd McMurtry,is investigating outlets for more than potential defamation off enses. Those who "intentionally joined a cybermob aimed at harassing and threatening a teenager have good reason to be legally concerned," Wood wrote. He and Wood recently sent dozens of letters requesting national media outlets and fi gures preserve evidence such as internal emails for potential lawsuits. The Enquirer did not receive a letter. Wood, in an email to The Enquirer, cited a U.S. Supreme Court decision, Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co., as one that would bolster Nick's chances in court.
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Nick Sandmann, center left, stands in front of Native American activist Nathan Phillips at a rally in Washington, D.C. last month that sparked national attention. SURVIVAL MEDIA AGENCY VIA AP
The court ruled in the case that "opinions that convey false facts, that imply the existence of undisclosed defamatory facts, or that are based upon false or incomplete facts are legally actionable," Wood wrote. McMurtry divulged to The Enquirer an example of a false report that harmed Nick. He said some professed that Nick got into the face of Nathan Phillips, the Omaha tribe elder who stood across from Nick. Two legal experts disputed that claim, telling The Enquirer it would like-
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ly fail in court because it is not a verifi able fact. "That's really a perspective, a point of view," said David Marburger, a Cleveland-based attorney who spent decades representing outlets including CBS, CNN and the Associated Press. Those who bring an accusation of defamation stemming from a statement of opinion "will lose," he added. Jon Fleischaker echoed him. The attorney, who represents the Louisville Courier-Journal and is general counsel for the Kentucky Press Association, said
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it is "set law under the Constitution" that a person or publication "cannot be held ... responsible for damages for statements of opinion. Because opinion is something that is not provable as a matter of fact." Marburger said the Milkovich ruling only addresses the First Amendment. But the fi rst consideration in a lawsuit will be state law. He cited a 1999 Kentucky Supreme Court ruling that found "only provable false assertions of fact can provide the basis for a defamation action." Marburger also said that case emphasized that generalized rhetorical exaggeration is protected speech. He gave an analogy by describing the aftermath of the O.J. Simpson trial. Many wrote that Simpson was guilty of murder, Marburger said, but those statements were not libelous. "The context is controlling, not only words but the overall expression," he said. "If it screams perspective, giving a point of view, screams, you know, rhetoric, hyperbole, criticism," it isn't defamatory." But Wood wrote the team is also looking into additional possible off enses. "As we analyze the mountain of false publications and statements about See DEFAMATION, Page 10A
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