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The summer of 2020 was an intense time in American history where we saw several innocent Americans simply exercising their right to protest and still being abused by others who disagreed with what they were doing.
For example, the world saw a grown white woman named Stephanie Rapkin, 67, spit on a young Black man formerly known as Eric Lucas III as he was leading a protest with his fellow high school students. He was only 17 years old at the time of the incident.
In April 2023, a jury convicted her of misdemeanor disorderly conduct, and then a month later in May 2023, she was sentenced to sixty days in jail, according to FOX6 News Milwaukee.
Although criminal charges were filed against her, Lucas took things into his own hands and sued Rapkin for battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Last month, that lawsuit finally came to an end after a jury agreed with Rapkin’s claims, leading to both sides reaching a settlement, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
But it turns out, it wasn’t what Lucas or his attorney were expecting.
More from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Attorney William Sulton, who represented Lucas, who is now 22, described the civil settlement as “less than we anticipated.”
“It was surprising and disappointing, given the evidence we had,” Sulton said of the civil verdict. “Much of it included the exhibits that were presented during the criminal trial just a year earlier…
“We had video of her spitting in a person’s face ... but this jury came to the verdict that it came to.”
Lucas legally changed his name in July 2023 and has decided to keep it private due to the attention his case was receiving.
The details of the settlement have also not been made public, according to the Journal Sentinel.
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