A Texas jury has ordered the mother of a Black teenager and her attorney to pay millions to a white teenager over racial bullying allegations she made against him on social media following an incident involving him, several other classmates and the woman’s son five years ago.

Details on the jury ruling and what Asher Vann had to say about the incident

Summer Smith and attorney Kim Cole were ordered to pay $3.2 million to Asher Vann, now 19, for intentionally inflicting emotional distress and publicizing the private information of the teen, who is accused of forcing Smith’s son to drink a cup of urine at Vann’s birthday party sleepover in Plano, Texas, in February 2021, according to WFAA and the New York Post.

The incident was recorded and shared on Snapchat, leading to viral headlines and nationwide outrage. Cole had launched a GoFundMe and raised more than $100,000 to help Smith and her son.

Vann had spoken out against the incident, stating that he was immature at the time and would rather people view him for the person he is today rather than hold him to the mistake he made several years ago.

“It was immature. It was stupid. It was nasty. But that’s not who I am and that’s not me today,” Vann told WFAA.

What Vann said about the incident

Smith said her then-13-year-old son, SeMarion Humphrey, told her about the incidents at the party. He claimed that Vann and other Haggard Middle School eighth graders involved hurled racial slurs at him and shot him with a BB gun during a game of frog hunt before he was forced to drink the urine, New York Post reported.

Vann said his actions were not racially motivated but instead a thoughtless act he committed with friends.

“This wasn’t me doing a racist act,” Vann continued, per WFAA. “This isn’t me hating someone because of their skin color. This was me at an immature stage of my life at a sleepover for my birthday, doing immature dumb things.”

Police had investigated the incident but no one was arrested or charged in the incidents. Vann later filed a lawsuit against Smith and Cole, stating that the pair had ruined his life with the widespread accusations and public outrage against him.

“Things are getting better,” he said, per WFAA. “But I don’t feel like I am who I should’ve been at this age because of that.”

Smith on the incidents: I feel that the acts were vile’

Meanwhile, Smith said she is going to appeal the verdict and remains committed to defending her son.

“Defending my son was what I should have done. And I would defend my son still,” Smith said, according to WFAA. “I feel that the acts were vile. And I feel like that was my opinion of the act. The urinate in a cup, to put it to someone’s lips to have them drink it, is vile.”

Smith said her son is doing well after years of counseling and professional help. She also expressed sadness for Vann and the harassment he received from the viral incident.

“I never wanted anyone to threaten anyone at the school or anything. I simply wanted them to be held accountable in the proper way,” she said. 

Despite being awarded a $3.2. million verdict, Vann believes nothing positive came of the case.

“There was no winner in the end,” he said.