News

Black student body president who won $725K after neo-Nazi man harassed her online says she’s still on edge

American University former student Taylor Dumpson recently had the last laugh after being taunted by white supremacists who didn’t like the fact that she had emerged as the first African-American student leader in the school’s 125-year history.

When Dumpson was voted the first black female student body president, neo-Nazis, led by Andrew Anglin, sent hateful and foul messages to her using their online platforms, specifically, Ozone, the neo-Nazi site that was being operated by Anglin.

The bullies hung bananas on the school campus – a racist inference to people with African ancestry being like apes – while the neo-Nazi site published her photo, contact information, name and social media accounts.

Becoming a national target for hatred, Dumpson told CNN that when she became aware of the wide-scale online attack, she was so frightened she had to lock the doors of the house as her parents were away.

The action of the white bullies caused the young Black lady to be so shaken to the extent that she couldn’t study nor eat, as she got diagnosed with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

However, help soon came her way when a Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law took up the matter and sued some of the racist people investigators could find, including Anglin and his website.

Taylor Dumpson, the former Student Government president who graduated from AU in May, raises a fist at a September 2017 rally against hate on campus. Photo credit: SAMAD AROUNA/THE EAGLE

Dumpson won the case, with the court equating online harassment to physical harassment, handing her a $725,000 default judgment despite Anglin nor his company being in court.

In addition, the court ensured she received a face-to-face apology from one of her online harassers.

Taking the moral high ground, Dumpson, who has since graduated from the school, has accepted the apology from one of her bullies.

“Even though you’re a white supremacist, even though you’re a neo-Nazi, even though you think like this, I don’t think you’re always going to think like that,” she told CNN. “I don’t think that it has to be that way.”

She, however, said that she is still on the edge, adding that there are parts of her life she has lost forever.

Litigation was, nevertheless, her “clap back,” she said.

Michael Eli Dokosi

Michael Eli Dokosi is a journalist and a formidable writer with a decade's experience. He is a blogger, voice-over artist and MC. Dokosi is fluid with both spoken and written communication. He is for the African cause and reckons Africa shall regain its rightful place in world affairs soon.

Recent Posts

Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton says his little brother was racially abused while watching him play

Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton has said that his little brother was subjected to racial abuse,…

2 days ago

This is how Reggie Bush got his Heisman Trophy back after 14 years

Reggie Bush has regained his place as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner after over a…

2 days ago

Nick Cannon says he is a lupus warrior as he undergoes blood treatment after decade of battle with condition

Since 2012, actor Nick Cannon has openly shared his struggle with lupus to support others…

2 days ago

Here’s how much NFL draft’s No. 1 pick Caleb Williams will earn

Former USC superstar Caleb Williams has been drafted by the Chicago Bears as the No.…

2 days ago

Stephen A. Smith on the money mistake he made that got him fired from ESPN

Stephen A. Smith is an ESPN analyst. People widely regard him as the face of…

2 days ago

‘Hip-hop’s best basketball player’ Lil Durk is giving HBCU students a chance to win $333K in scholarships

Lil Durk is an American rapper and one of the most influential voices in the…

2 days ago

Kevin Hart’s Gran Coramino Tequila donates over $1 million to small Black and Latinx businesses

In 2022, Kevin Hart added a new title to his impressive resume: a tequila entrepreneur.…

2 days ago

‘Nothing was handed out to me’: Swerve Strickland on becoming the first Black AEW World Champion

AEW's latest pay-per-view, Dynasty 2024 on Sunday night saw Swerve Strickland defeat Samoa Joe to…

3 days ago

Opal Lee: 97-year-old ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth’ to receive 8th honorary doctorate

Renowned civil rights activist Opal Lee, known as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," will be awarded…

3 days ago

Gun violence: Mississippi mother’s two sons fatally shot in the space of a month

Violet Horne lost her two sons to gun violence within the space of a month.…

3 days ago

Ohio police released K-9 on man after mistakenly believing he was driving stolen car

An Ohio man said a K-9 bit him seven times after he was pulled over…

3 days ago

Namibia: Outrage after tourists are spotted posing naked at Big Daddy dune

Three male foreign tourists who were spotted posing naked in a popular dune in Namibia…

3 days ago

Will.i.am partners with media veterans to acquire Uproxx, HipHopDX and more to form new studio

Will.i.am is partnering with other prominent figures to revolutionize the digital media scene by forming…

3 days ago

Meet Eritrea’s Sabelle Beraki who built a thriving toy business out of frustration

Sabelle Beraki's childhood was inundated with the lack of representation when it came to a…

3 days ago

How an entrepreneur used LinkedIn to raise $13.8 million

Benjamin Harvey is the founder of AI Squared, a third-party software company that helps organizations…

3 days ago