28 | DECEMBER 9 • 2021 

NATIONAL

I

t took more than four years, 
but nine individuals who were 
injured and traumatized by 
white supremacists have now 
achieved a measure of justice. 
 More than four years ago, hun-
dreds of white nationalists from a 
dozen “alt-right” white suprema-
cist organizations joined together 
in Charlottesville, Virginia, to 
march with tiki-torches and 
flags, shouting antisemitic and 
racist slogans. They opposed the 
city’s plans to remove a statue of 
Confederate General Robert E. 
Lee.
Carrying shields, some wearing 
body armor, they punched and 
pepper-sprayed students and local 
clergy — peaceful protesters — 
along with innocent bystanders 
during their “Unite the Right” 
weekend of Aug. 11-12, 2017. 
One person — Heather Heyer 
— was killed when James Fields 
Jr. drove his car into protestors; 
he is serving a life sentence in a 
Virginia prison. 
Dozens of others were hurt 
and traumatized that night — 
some suffering lasting physical 
and emotional pain and dis-

ability — without anyone being 
held accountable until a civil 
suit was filed on their behalf in 
October 2017 by Integrity First 
for America, a nonprofit organi-
zation. 
After a trial that lasted almost 
a month, 11 jurors ruled Nov. 
23 that the defendants conspired 
to deprive the plaintiffs of their 
civil rights under Virginia law. 
Extensive evidence, comprising 
online posts, cell phone records 
and texts, convinced jurors that 
the racially motivated violence 
that weekend was planned. 
However, the jury deadlocked on 
charges of a federal conspiracy 
under the Ku Klux Klan Act of 
1871.
The nine plaintiffs of Sines v 
Kessler were awarded more than 
$25 million in damages to be 
paid by 12 individual defendants, 

including James Fields Jr., and five 
white nationalist organizations 
(Vanguard America, the League 
of the South, Identity Evropa, the 
Traditionalist Worker Party and 
the National Socialist Movement). 
Steven Winter, Walter S. 
Gibbs Distinguished Professor 
of Constitutional Law at Wayne 
State University Law School, 
describes the outcome as a win 
with a “high verdict.
” The defen-
dants may have their personal 
assets, such as houses, seized to 
pay the judgments against them 
and may face garnishment of 
their wages, he explains.

According to Amy Spitalnick, 
executive director of Integrity 
First for America, even before the 
jury verdict, the case has resulted 
in costly legal fees and recruit-
ment difficulties for the white 
nationalists that are defendants.
“This case has sent a clear mes-
sage: Violent hate won’t go unan-
swered. There will be accountabil-
ity. These judgments underscore 
the major financial, legal and 
operational consequences for 
violent hate — even beyond the 
significant impacts this case has 
already had,
” said Spitalnick. 

Steven Winter

Charlottesville jury awards $25 million in damages to 
those harmed by white supremacists.

Accountability for Violent Hate

SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Integrity First for America stated 
in a news release: 
“It has been a long four years since we first brought this 
case. Today, we can celebrate the jury’s verdict finally 
holding defendants like [Jason Kessler, Richard Spencer 
and Christopher Cantwell] accountable for what they did 
to us and to everyone else in the Charlottesville com-
munity who stood up against hate in August 2017. Our 
single greatest hope is that today’s verdict will encourage 
others to feel safer raising our collective voices in the 
future to speak up for human dignity and against white 
supremacy.” 

Amy Spitalnick

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The Adult Education 
Committee organizes and 
sponsors speakers and 
educational programs 
for all members and our 
friends in the community. 
Please join us! There 
is no charge. 
Temple members will 
receive links to attend. 

Others may RSVP to 
templefamily@ 
emanuel-mich.org or call 
248-967-4020 to be added 
to the event mailing list.

Temple Emanu-El’s 
Adult Education Committee 
Invites You to Attend our Dec & Jan Events

Sunday, December 12, at 10 a.m. ET
DR. JOEL KAHN, MD, FACC, Founder, 
Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity, and Clinical Professor, 
will be speaking via Zoom on: 
“Living to a Healthy 100”

Sunday, January 9, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. ET
ANAT HOFFMAN, Executive Director of the Israel Religious 
Action Center (IRAC) will be speaking via Zoom on:
“Securing Civil Rights for a Just and Egalitarian 
Israel Based on Israeli Law and Jewish Tradition”

