by Daniel Johnson

February 25, 2024

Haiti’s Slain President’s Wife Accused In His Assassination

Martine Moïse has been indicted over accusations of conspiring in the 2021 assassination of her husband, former Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.

Following the sentencing of ex-DEA informant Joseph Vincent to life in prison for his role in the 2021 murder of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, The New York Times reports that his wife, Martine Moïse, has been accused of conspiring in his assassination.

In addition to Martine Moïse, former Haiti Prime Minister Claude Joseph and 49 others have been indicted over their alleged roles in the death of the former Haitian president. As CNN reported, in documents made available to the public by Haitian news site AyiboPost on Feb. 19, Martine Moïse and Joseph are alleged to have conspired to replace Moïse as the president of Haiti.

Although accused of conspiring against her husband in a bid to replace him herself, Martine was shot when the assassins entered Moïse’s home and killed him, something that PBY&A, the law firm representing her, pointed out in a statement to CNN. “She has no motivation for this attack, and her inclusion is supposedly based on her imperfect memory of the most traumatic night of her life…There is no basis in law or fact for Mrs. Moise to be charged for this crime and including her in this indictment is an embarrassment that further calls into question the legitimacy of the current Haitian government.”

In 2021, Moïse told CNN that she believed that once her husband was shot, her time was also drawing to a close. She said, “Once they shot the president, that’s when I thought, ‘It’s over for both of us.’ And I closed my eyes, you know, I didn’t think about anything else. I thought, ‘It’s over. This our last day.’”

Meanwhile, Joseph, after an order from Judge Walther Lesser Voltaire came down calling for the arrest and trial of those accused of conspiring in the murder of the Haitian president, released a statement asserting his belief that the case was orchestrated by current Prime Minister Ariel Henry. “They failed to kill me and Martine Moïse on July 7, 2021, now they are using the Haitian justice system to advance their Machiavellian agenda,” Joseph said. “I will not give up my fight against a government that has been killing the Haitian people.” In his statement, Joseph also accused Henry of “weaponizing the Haitian justice system.”

Jean-Junior Joseph, spokesman for the prime minister’s office, issued a statement to CNN that denied the involvement of Henry’s office in the order, saying, “The examining magistrate is independent and has the means to conduct his investigation in complete freedom. The prime minister has no direct relationship with the examining magistrate, nor does he control him. The judge remains free to issue his order in accordance with the law and his conscience.”

As Al-Jazeera reported, since the assassination of Jovenel Moïse, Haiti has only sunk deeper into chaos. No election has been held, and Haitian gangs, which had already been terrorizing the nation, have only grown bolder. They note that although the UN has ratified an international force to assist police in Haiti, to be led by Kenya, previous abuses by foreign entities and allegations of corruption against Henry’s regime have left the international community wary of providing help to Haiti.

Birmingham, mayor, Alabama, Anti-DEI ,Trump

by Mary Spiller

February 25, 2024

Birmingham Mayor Advises Black Athletes To Steer Clear Of Alabama Colleges If Anti-Diversity Bill Passes

Mayor Randall Woodfin says the bill is detrimental to minority student-athletes coming to the state for their education.

Birmingham, Alabama, Mayor Randall Woodfin took to social media to express his discontent with a new bill coming up through the courts. He said that if Alabama passes a bill that bans diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in public schools and universities, parents of minority student-athletes should choose colleges in other states “where diversity and inclusion are prioritized.”

Woodfin referenced the Alabama Senate’s approval of the proposed bill, which bars schools from affirming “divisive” concepts such as “slavery and racism are aligned with the founding principles of the United States.” The bill claims that “fault, blame, or bias should be assigned to members of a race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin, based on race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin.”

The only thing keeping the bill from being signed is a House vote.

Woodfin urged “leadership, athletic directors, and coaches” to consider what the bill is saying.

He continued in his post, “To the parents of minority athletes who are helping their children decide if they want to play sports at those institutions: Would you be cool with your child playing at schools where diversity among staff is actively being discouraged?”

“Although I’m the biggest Bama fan, I have no problem organizing Black parents and athletes to attend other institutions outside of the state where diversity and inclusion are prioritized. If supporting inclusion becomes illegal in this state, hell, you might as well stand in front of the school door like Governor [George] Wallace.”

Woodfin’s post drummed up a lot of responses, both positive and negative.

One Birmingham resident, Kena Clark, showed her support of Woodfin’s stance. Clark said, “He faces a lot of criticism for any position that he takes because he’s a Democrat in a Republican-run state. [He shows] his character and his caring about us as a people. He’s willing to face the criticism and stand up for what we deal with as Black people here.”

by Daniel Johnson

February 25, 2024

Father Killed In Family Dollar Shooting: ‘He Was Such A Good Dad’

Loyce Wright, a 43-year-old Chicago father of four whose daughters describe him as "a great father," died after being shot inside a Family Dollar while working as a security guard for the store.

Loyce Wright, a 43-year-old Chicago father of four whose daughters described him as “a great father,” died after being shot inside a Family Dollar while working as a security guard for the store.

As ABC 7 Chicago reported, Wright was approached by a man who took out a gun and opened fire on him, hitting him in his torso multiple times. Wright was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. According to three of his daughters, Sharice, Shanice, and Robin Wright, their father was a good man.

Sharice Wright told the outlet, “I’m telling the honest to God truth, that dude was awesome. He was such a good dad.”

Shanice echoed her sister, saying, “Everybody loved my dad. He was just such a great, a great guy. And he didn’t have any haters.”

Robin emphasized that their father was kind and personable, saying, “He trusted people. He loved people, and people loved him, and for some reason, he just thought he could change people with a hug.”

According to his relatives, Wright wore a vest underneath his security uniform, but it was not a bulletproof vest. No one has been put in custody yet for the killing of Wright, but detectives are investigating.

A Family Dollar spokesperson issued the following statement: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred at one of our Family Dollar stores in Chicago today. We are cooperating with local authorities as they investigate the crime. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, no further comment will be offered at this time.”

Wright’s daughters, meanwhile, are attempting to cope with the immense loss of their father. Robin said that they worried about Wright’s safety when he worked at the store, but it never seemed to concern him: “He never I think focused on the danger of it all, like we all did. You know, we were scared for him.”

Sharice, meanwhile, called on Chicago’s community to do better, telling ABC 7 Chicago, “I’m going to miss my dad. I’m really going to miss my dad, and we need to do better as a community.”

by Mary Spiller

February 25, 2024

Tyler Perry Donates $400K To Comedian Cocoa Brown After Devastating House Fire

Tiffany Haddish and Marlon Wayans were also among the top donors to Brown's GoFundMe campaign.

Tyler Perry has reportedly stepped up for actress and comedian Cocoa Brown by donating $400,000 to her after she and her son lost their house and belongings in a fire last week.

Brown suffered financial losses when her family suffered a house fire. She revealed on her social media that they have to “rebuild their lives from scratch.” Brown is best known for playing Jennifer in “For Better or Worse” and Lytia in The Single Moms Club.

As People reports, Brown’s close friends, family, and team launched a GoFundMe campaign. Of their $100,000 goal, they’ve earned over $70,000 so far.

Other big names showed up and showed out for the Brown family. Tiffany Haddish and Marlon Wayans were among the top donors, but 54-year-old Tyler Perry pledged $400,000 to Brown.

Brown expressed immense gratitude for all of the support given to her family as “the road ahead is undoubtedly daunting.” The comedian asked for people to “shine a beacon of hope and happiness in this time of darkness” for her and her son Phoenix. All of the donations will be used to supply them with shelter, necessities, and replacement clothing.

The GoFundMe campaign read, “We’re launching a fundraising campaign to assist Cocoa and Phoenix as they embark on this journey to start anew. Every contribution, no matter how big or small, will make a difference in helping them rebuild what was lost.”

“Let’s come together as a community to show Cocoa Brown and Phoenix that they are not alone. Together, we can help them find light in the midst of darkness and pave the way for a brighter future.”

Brown took to Instagram on Feb. 22 to thank all her fans and followers for their support during the trying times. She acknowledged that she’d received overwhelming “love, concern & support” and asked for everyone to “continue to pray for us.”

Elon Musk, Tennessee, pollution, super computer

by Daniel Johnson

February 25, 2024

Black-Owned Bakery Loses Thousands After Tesla Cancels Its Order Last-Minute Without Paying

Elon Musk has promised via a tweet to “make things good” with the bakery owner.

A Black-owned bakery accused Tesla of making a large order for a Black History Month event and then canceling before any payment was made, leaving the company holding the bag. Some questioned if the incident had anything to do with Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s attack of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

The Giving Pies, a San Diego, California-based bakery, had an order placed by a Tesla representative on Feb. 14, set to be delivered the following week. Voahangy Rasetarinera, owner of the bakery, told NBC Bay Area that the bakery had to shift its employee work schedule and spend $2,000 only to be informed via text message two days later that the order had been canceled. She said the experience made her feel like her company was being disrespected.

“It felt like we didn’t matter,” Rasetarinera said. “It felt like, ‘OK, it’s no big deal, it’s just a business transaction that didn’t pan out.’ But it’s not like that. I had to tell my staff change your plans.”

While Musk has promised via a tweet to “make things good” with the bakery owner, she says that the experience has made her reexamine how she does business with large corporations going forward.

https://twitter.com/firesunf/status/1760340454481297840?t=c3LRanYAZkTNyCHtIXeVBg&s=19

The owner of San Jose's The Giving Pies told ABC7 News she took a big hit after @Tesla placed an order worth more than $2,000, then unexpectedly canceled. But on Friday, @elonmusk wrote a message on @X saying he would "make things good with the bakery." https://t.co/Ib6CJHyYrT pic.twitter.com/fDKJB7rJDf
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) February 24, 2024

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A post shared by The Giving Pies (@thegivingpies)

Rasetarinera told ABC 7 that she first began to worry when the invoice didn’t come through within the day of the order, even after she sent a request for payment that was approved. However, the next night, a company representative asked to double Tesla’s initial order. “I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m gonna wait, you know, and they are professional, they are a big company. So once it’s approved, it’s approved.'” Rasetarinera said a Tesla representative had called her a little after 9 p.m. “She said, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry that vendor hadn’t paid you yet, I think they’re kind of new,'” Rasetarinera recollected, “‘And I have a question for you, can we double the order?’”

This development caused the bakery to have to cancel other orders and purchase additional ingredients to make the pies, which at that point still had not been paid for. Once Rasetarinera contacted the representative to follow up, she received a text message informing her that the order had been canceled: “It unfortunately sounds like we will be changing plans and will not be needing this order. Thank you so much for your support I appreciate it.”

Once Rasetarinera posted her side of the story to Instagram, her account of the experience went viral and resulted in increased traffic for her business, which she is grateful for. She also hopes that her story will be used as a warning to large corporations to respect the time and effort of smaller businesses. Rasetarinera told ABC 7, “I don’t want them to feel like, ‘Oh you know we can do whatever.’ It’s people’s lives that they are affecting and I want them to know that.”

Customers like Bruce Felperin certainly appreciate small businesses like The Giving Pies, as he told ABC 7. “You got to help your community, the people that make your community, the merchants that are in your community,” Felperin said, “because if you don’t help them, no one else is.”

by Mary Spiller

February 25, 2024

Former Mississippi Mayor Arrested For Second Time, Faces Drug Charges

Maurice Howard was kicked out of office after embezzling funds from City Hall.

Former Aberdeen Mayor Maurice Howard has been arrested once again. The Mississippi mayor has been sentenced to four years in prison for violating the terms of his suspended sentence for his past crimes.

The former mayor pled guilty to embezzlement while he was still mayor and had an unreleased list of suspended sentence guidelines to follow. He was kicked out from office after he was investigated and found to have used city-designated money for personal use while traveling. He used the money he received from the city for conferences and other political events. Howard was removed from his position but wasn’t sentenced to any jail time for the embezzlement.

Howard has been arrested in the past. In 2023 he was taken into police custody during a Monroe County drug bust. Officers raided two separate CBD stores on Dec. 21, 2023. Several arrests were made in relation to the incident.

According to the police reports, the suspects picked up in the raids included “Daniel Sanders who was charged with the sale of narcotics. Kenyatta Howard who was charged with possession of narcotics with intent to distribute. Maurice Howard who was charged with the sale of narcotics and possession of narcotics with intent to distribute, and Vernon Harrison who was charged with sale of narcotics.”

For his crimes, Howard will serve four years under the Department of Corrections, and at that point he’ll be on probation for five years.

Mississippi Sheriff Kevin Crook said the arrested individuals were picked up when The Gas Station on Commerce Street in Aberdeen was raided. The Gas Station is located right across the street from City Hall, where Maurice Howard used to serve as the mayor of Aberdeen.

The stores were raided in tangent to one another on Main Street because the stores reportedly illegally sold marijuana.

by Mary Spiller

February 24, 2024

‘I Built This From The Ground Up And Funded It Myself’: Beyoncé Forgoes Investors For New Haircare Brand

Beyoncé launched Cécred without the backing of any outside investors.

Beyoncé is making waves with her new haircare company, Cécred, and set a precedent by reportedly completely self-funding her science-based haircare line.

Beyoncé has brought her vision to life without the support of any outside investors, displaying new heights to which beauty brand entrepreneurs can strive, according to Essence, which conducted an exclusive interview with the singer and businesswoman. The “America Has a Problem” singer put her Cécred products through rigorous rounds of scientific testing, Allure reported. The products in the Cécred line have been in the works for six long years as Queen Bey put in a lot of time to construct an in-house lab and salon, and to carefully choose the right public relations team for the company to uphold her emphasis on inclusivity and diversity in haircare.

Beyoncé said in an interview with Essence, “I built this from the ground up and funded it myself.”

In a Cécred press release, Beyoncé continued, “The journey of creating Cécred has taken years, and I’m so proud to finally reveal what we’ve been working on.”

“As a Black founder, it was important to me to concentrate on where I saw the greatest need for healthy haircare and to place scientific innovation and product performance above all else. We started by prioritizing the needs of textured hair like mine, along with other types and textures that need more moisture and strength.”

Beyoncé opened up about her haircare journey and how it informed her development of Cécred. She expressed, “My entire life and career, I’ve worn my hair in so many different ways: natural, flat-ironed, braids, colored, weaves, wigs. I want everyone to have the freedom to express their hair in ways that make them feel good, so I began by creating the essentials for hair and scalp health. My vision is to be an inclusive force of excellence in the haircare industry while celebrating hair rituals across global cultures and helping dispel hair myths and misconceptions on all sides.”

Most notably, Cécred is unique in its inclusion of a new ingredient, which is a mixture of bioactive keratin, lactobacillus ferment, and honey. The company, which is currently awaiting a patent on it, found that it “replaces depleted proteins in hair and has a molecular weight small enough to penetrate the cortex to visibly strengthen weak, damaged, or highly manipulated hair.”

RELATED CONTENT: Beyoncé Drops New Cécred Haircare Collection

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 24, 2024

Tyler Perry Halts $800M Studio Expansion Due To Advanced Artificial Intelligence, Admits ‘Jobs Are Going To Be Lost’

Tyler Perry is halting plans for an $800 million studio expansion due to the rapid developments he's witnessed with artificial intelligence.

Tyler Perry is halting plans for an $800 million studio expansion due to rapid developments he’s witnessing with artificial intelligence.

After witnessing the power of OpenAI’s new text-to-video model Sora, the heavyweight filmmaker decided to hold off on expanding his massive 330-acre Atlanta studio, which would have added 12 new soundstages. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Perry tested the new AI product out following its Feb. 15 debut and believes the advanced technology will help his productions avoid traveling to locations or building sets.

“Being told that it can do all of these things is one thing, but actually seeing the capabilities, it was mind-blowing,” Perry said.

Serving on both ends of the spectrum helps Perry see the benefits and dangers Sora presents to the entertainment industry. As a business owner, the Madea Family Reunion creator recognizes the potential within these tech advancements. However, as an employer, actor, and filmmaker, Perry is also sounding the alarm about potential threats.

“There’s got to be some sort of regulations in order to protect us. If not, I just don’t see how we survive,” he said.

Perry admits that plans to expand his production studio are on hold “indefinitely” due to the power of the new Sora tool. The billionaire media mogul has been keeping his eyes on the emerging OpenAI wave and expected changes to the industry, but not to the extent he recently witnessed.

“I had gotten word over the last year or so that this was coming, but I had no idea until I saw recently the demonstrations of what it’s able to do. It’s shocking to me,” Perry shared.

Sora is a newly introduced product of OpenAI, a U.S.-based artificial intelligence research organization. It serves as an AI model that allows users to create realistic and imaginative scenes by simply typing in instructions.

Launched Feb. 15, Perry was given an early test run that left him both taken aback and in awe of the possibilities.

“If I wanted to be in the snow in Colorado, it’s text. If I wanted to write a scene on the moon, it’s text, and this AI can generate it like nothing,” he described, adding how the new tech would help cut production costs.

“I don’t have to put a set on my lot. I can sit in an office and do this with a computer, which is shocking to me,” he said.

Perry sees how much of a “game changer” OpenAI will be in the entertainment industry — and admits to the job losses that could occur as a result.

“I am very, very concerned that in the near future, a lot of jobs are going to be lost,” he said. “I really, really feel that very strongly.”

In September, Hollywood writers and actors ended one of their longest strikes in history after reaching a tentative deal that included protections against the growing AI wave. Under the new terms, studios “cannot use AI to write scripts or to edit scripts that have already been written by a writer,” comedian Adam Conover told The Guardian. The contract also prevents studios from using AI-generated content as “source material” that screenwriters could be tasked with adapting for reduced compensation and diminished credit compared to a wholly original script.

However, considering Perry’s latest revelations and drawback on studio expansion, it could serve as a foreshadowing of what’s to come across the entire industry.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

February 24, 2024

‘Be Your Own Marketing Engine,’ Says CurlMix Founder On The Keys To Business Success

CEO Kim Lewis speaks to BLACK ENTERPRISE about the community she's built within her haircare businesses and her journey to success.

Kim Lewis of CurlMix isn’t afraid to pivot. Whether it’s turning down investment sharks or switching up her business model, Lewis has learned that the way to succeed is through trial and error. And with a new product launch in Ulta stores nationwide, her risks have turned into rewards.

The CEO of Listener Brands, which includes CurlMix and her specialty 4C ONLY haircare company, has made many shifts to elevate her businesses, including over $32 million in lifetime revenue, and is still finding new ways to involve customers and innovate the hair industry.

Her values in entrepreneurship are to share the wealth, opening her community equity crowdfund in hopes that her customers will be part of the profit share. Lewis’ inclusive mindset also led to the creation of 4C ONLY, where women with this kinkier hair texture are not only the focus but the heroes of this hair story. The entrepreneur’s goals are lofty, but her commitment to engaging with customers as partners will aid in this venture to build a Curl boss empire.

Amid her steady rise to the top of the haircare industry, Lewis shared her story and insights with BLACK ENTERPRISE.

What was most crucial to getting your business off the ground?

Early on, I started as a DIY box for curly hair. I was putting something in the market that I wanted to see in the world, that I wanted people to have in their kitchens. But the market spoke back, and they wanted ready-to-make products. I was doing something that was a novelty and not a necessity. When I started making things that my customers wanted…I stopped doing the thing I wanted to do and started doing what people would pay me for, and I think that was the biggest change in my business for CurlMix.

In your story on your personal website, you mention a lot of pivots to get your business where it is today. What encouraged you to not only have the wisdom and willingness to make these pivots, such as walking away from a Shark Tank deal, but to keep going after that?

I knew that this [flaxseed] gel was something special, so we started pivoting our business. I found out people were using it to do wash-and-gos, and I was ready to pivot when I found out what my customers were actually doing with the product. And with Shark Tank, first and foremost it’s a television show for entertainment. Although I wanted to invest with the sharks, I knew I was going to have to go home with this business.

So I interviewed 50 people who have been on before I was featured who gave me insight on their deal and if the shark was helpful. So whatever deal I took on the show I had to be comfortable with actually taking. I realized I can get a better valuation if I just talked to the angel investors in my neighborhood, versus [the sharks] who may know nothing about the industry. It was just a no-brainer.

Were there any Black entrepreneurs whose journeys inspired you? Is there a community within this “For Us By Us” sector that shares advice when facing similar obstacles?

I have what I call peers, people that I’m running with that are dealing with the same issues and can give me advice along the way. Tracey [Pickett] from Hairbrella, she’s so focused and in the weeds of her business, and that’s something I’ve gotten away from in the past and want to get back to. The most meaningful check I got was for $25,000 from Arlan Hamilton at Backstage Capital; it was when we were doing the DIY box and had to pivot. If she hadn’t given us that check when she did in 2018, we wouldn’t have had the funds to move into the manufacturing facility to scale up production on the flaxseed gel. We were one of her first 50 investments, and now she’s invested over $30 million in capital to Black, brown, and LGBT+ founders. It was the money we used to get to our first $1 million in revenue, and it showed that somebody believes in me.

I love 4conly.com. Can you explain more about its missions and intentions and the story behind it? Why is it to crucial to have this space for Black women, especially those with the real-deal coils and kinks?

One of the top comments on all our ads was “But does this work on 4c hair?” And of course 4c hair owners can wear a wash-and-go, but they don’t always want to. The 4c woman may want braids, to rock her Afro, to do some twists, etc. I didn’t want to switch up the branding for CurlMix, and the 4c woman wanted to be in the front. When she goes to the website, she wants to see herself. So I thought she needs to be the hero, and how do we do that? Put her in the brand name, on the bottle, and in all the advertisements. We knew we couldn’t serve the 4c customer under CurlMix’s brand name, she had to have her own, and it’s been doing really well.

And what about the community equity crowdfund? What lead to the decision to create it? Why was that important to you?

I’ve always wanted my customers to own a piece of the brand. It was more about the right time and the right amount. It’s a lot of work to crowdfund, so you don’t want to do it for a little amount of money. So I’ve gone through a lot of vetting to ensure my validity and that I have a good offer to the public, because if you don’t then the [U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission] will be like “uh uh.” I wanted to bring my customers along with me and I’m all about sharing the wealth. It is my goal to get a 2-3 times return for my customers.

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A post shared by Kim Lewis | CEO & Co-Founder l Speaker (@kimlewisceo)

Is there anything you do differently to work smarter and not harder? What are the long-term goals for Listener Brands?

You should be your own marketing engine. Put your money toward sales and getting the inventory to fulfill those sales, keeping your money product-focused. The one ace-in-the-hole for our business is our customer Facebook group on the CurlMix side, as Black women over 40 are often ignored. This demographic has the higher household income, so she has the money to spend, and she is going natural. Now, we have a group of over 20,000 women who have purchased from us before, so we will use it to vote on launches, during tutorials on live video, and now they are doing meetups.

My long-term goal for Listener brands is really to get my crowdfund investors a return, that’s what I primarily care most about. I want both brands to get in the surplus of $10 million in annual revenue. It’s serving my CurlMix and 4C ONLY customers, creating products they love and innovating in the space. If CurlMix closed down today as well as the Facebook group, they would find each other, and that’s how you know you’ve built community.

by Daniel Johnson

February 24, 2024

Settlement Reached In Lawsuit By White College Student Over Expulsion Related To Black Women Matter Protest; Student Allegedly Said Protesters Would Make ‘Good Speed Bumps’

It was a four-year legal battle during which Bettinger claimed she was discriminated against because she is white.

Morgan Bettinger, a graduate of the University of Virginia, has settled her case after a four-year battle over what she characterized as false allegations that ruined her life. The white student filed a lawsuit against the university following her expulsion related to a conflict at a Black Women Matter protest in 2020.

Bettinger faced expulsion after being found guilty by the student-run University Judiciary Committee of threatening fellow students. Despite being cleared of wrongdoing by the UVA Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights, the expulsion remained on her record. She alleged that university officials failed to adequately ensure her safety following accusations of threatening participants at a Black Women Matter protest in downtown Charlottesville in July 2020.

As the Daily Progress reports, Bettinger settled the lawsuit after suing the university’s governing Board of Visitors, University of Virginia President Jim Ryan, and the former Dean of Students Allen Groves in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia in July 2023. As University of Virginia spokesman Brian Coy told the outlet, “The case was resolved by a mutual and amicable agreement and dismissed following a joint motion by both parties.”

As the Jefferson Council reports, Brown & Gavalier, the Charlottesville law firm that represented Bettinger during her lawsuit, di d not disclose the terms of the settlement and did not make their client available for any follow-up questions from the outlet.

In August 2023, Bettinger’s lawsuit stemmed from actions the university took after she was alleged to have said that protesters gathered at a 2020 protest would have made “good speed bumps” by Zyanha Bryant, a rising activist who attended the University of Virginia. As Reason reported, Bettinger denied that she made her statement with malice.

The student told the outlet, “It was simply a comment made to a [dump] truck driver who was sitting and blocking the road, and just saying, like, ‘It’s good you’re here.’”

Her lawsuit described the statement in this way, “The words are entirely innocuous and innocent, and no reasonable, objective person could ever conclude otherwise. The words do not constitute a ‘true threat’ as that term is defined by applicable Supreme Court precedent.”

Her lawsuit contained explosive allegations against Groves and Ryan, saying of the latter, “[University of Virginia] President Jim Ryan knew, unequivocally, that Morgan Bettinger’s speech was free and protected under the First Amendment, that Morgan had been wronged, and that he was intentionally committing the University to violate those sacred rights,” and referring to the former, “Groves purposefully tampered with at least two of the ‘proceedings.'”

Of Groves, the lawsuit stated, “The Dean of Students for the University of Virginia did not simply put his proverbial thumb on the scales of justice. He put his entire weight on it.”

Bettinger’s experience gained attention from several conservative and conservative-leaning outlets, such as Reason and Daily Mail, who called it a case of cancel culture gone awry within college campuses. The lawsuit, likewise, is filled with references to Bettinger being discriminated against or judged to be in the wrong largely because she is white, presenting a legal argument rooted in the concept of reverse racism.

RELATED CONTENT: Reverse Racism or Hatchet Job?