I’m the first to admit we live in an era of overzealous litigators, scratching for the next lawsuit like a dog with a bone, burying them with retainer fees and motions to exhaust a person into a pit of despair and bankruptcy. However, the legal system is an important avenue of justice for many and we are all seeing this in real time with the announcement that Nicholas Sandmann (the high school student from the now-infamous Covington Catholic High School, who was at the center of an unwanted viral video controversy) is suing the Washington Post. In an incredible, put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is move, Sandmann and attorneys are seeking a whopping $250 million in damages and get kudos from me for straight-up chutzpah.

Still, between the first photo of Sandmann on that January day and the latter video, multiple outlets including the Washington Post vilified the young man as a bigot and taunting teen, a white nationalist, and more. One Washington Post opinion headline said, “Time to take on the Covington ‘smirk,’” while another read, “The Covington students and the calculated art of making people uncomfortable.”