Deadspin could be in for an expensive apology after trying to “scalp” a nine-year-old Chiefs fan it falsely accused of wearing blackface.
The boy’s family — which just happens to be Native American — filed a defamation lawsuit against Deadspin. Back in November, 9-year-old Holden Armenta attended a football game wearing a headdress and with his face painted. This get-up offended wacky, woke Deadspin senior writer Caron Phillips, who accused the little boy of simultaneously being racist against natives and black Americans.
Except that Phillips didn’t mention Holden’s face was painted black and red — and he didn’t know that Holden’s grandfather serves on the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. Now the Armentas are on the warpath for the serious accusations Phillips plastered online.
MRCTV’s Nick Kangadis reported on Feb. 8:
On Tuesday, the family of the 9-year-old boy filed a defamation lawsuit in Delaware against Deadspin, claiming “The Article falsely alleged that [Holden Armenta] had ‘found a way to hate Black people and the Native Americans at the same time.’ It alleged that [Holden]’s parents, Shannon and Raul, ‘taught’ [Holden] ‘racism and hate’ at home,” according to lawsuit, as reported by The New York Post…
The author of the race baiting piece, Deadspin senior writer Caron Phillips, caused the boy to received death threats and merciless verbal abuse online, with the “tolerant” social media mob attacking the 9-year-old Chiefs superfan.
Phillips had based his accusation on a still from a CBS Sports broadcast showing only the side of Holden’s face that was painted black. Black and red are the Chiefs’ colors, hence Holden’s face paint. Kangadis noted that Deadspin has a history of being biased and that staff was even fired in 2019 for not sticking to sports articles, as management insisted.
At the time, Phillips sneered at Holden’s “Tomahawk Chop” gesture (which black Chiefs players also do), saying that along with the paint and headdress, the boy had “found a way to hate Black people and the Native Americans at the same time.” Ironically, not only is Holden ethnically native, but video showed black football players spying Holden’s Tomahawk Chop and making the gesture with him.
Deadspin said Holden was wearing black face: He wasn’t.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 29, 2023
Deadspin said Holden was offending Native Americans: Holden is Native American.
Deadspin said Holden was offending black people: Black players saw Holden and joined in with his tomahawk chop.
I hope Holden is ready for a… pic.twitter.com/b8pselT3rz
Phillips was so anxious to be offended that he pounced on a young boy decked out in honor of his favorite NFL team to vilify him to the world. It’s understandable that the Armentas are suing Deadspin. Phillips’ race-baiting was unacceptable, vicious, and likely traumatizing to 9-year-old Holden. Wokeness has become a destructive mental disease in America.
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