A Kentucky PR firm was reportedly behind high schooler Nick Sandmann's statement on his viral confrontation with a Native American protester
- A Kentucky-based PR firm was reportedly behind a statement from the high schooler at the center of a confrontation with a Native American protester at a Washington, DC march.
- The Louisville Courier Journal reported that RunSwitch PR was behind the statement from Nick Sandmann, who said he was compelled to speak out to "correct misinformation and outright lies" that he had seen in the wake of the incident going viral.
- The statement was central to the changing narrative that surrounded the viral incident, which prompted apologies and revised statements from outlets and social media users after extended video footage was released.
- Nathan Phillips, the Native American demonstrator, dismissed Sandmann's statement on Tuesday as unabashed and partially false, and offered to visit Covington Catholic High School.
Video of a confrontation between a high school student and a Native American protester at the Indigenous People's March went viral last week and was promptly condemned by many on social media as a racially charged incident.
In the days following the incident's rise on social media, extended video footage and statements from the student and protester at the center of the video revealed another group had been harassing the students, which high school junior Nick Sandmann said caused him to approach protester Nathan Phillips and "diffuse the situation."
The statement that was published Sunday from Sandmann, who was depicted at the center of a confrontation, was the result of consultation by a Kentucky-based PR firm, the Louisville Courier Journal reported on Monday.
Sandmann reportedly retained RunSwitch PR before releasing the statement to "correct misinformation and outright lies" that followed in the wake of the incident's spread on social media and across several outlets.
When the Courier Journal asked the firm about its role, RunSwitch said in a statement it "has been retained by the Sandmann family to offer professional counsel with what has become a national media story."
"We are working with the family to ensure an accurate recounting of events which occurred this past weekend," the statement continued.
RunSwitch PR did not immediately return INSIDER's request for comment.
School and diocese officials issued a statement of their own over the weekend condemning the group's actions and saying the incident was under investigation and that students could face potential expulsion. An investigation into the incident is reportedly ongoing.
In a Tuesday statement announcing he would be willing to meet with the students as a representative of the Indigenous Peoples March, Phillips dismissed Sandmann's statement as unabashed and partially false.
"I have read the statement from Nick Sandmann, the student who stared at me for a long time. He did not apologize, and I believe there are intentional falsehoods in his testimony," Phillips said. "But I have faith that human beings can use a moment like this to find a way to gain understanding from one another."
What Sandmann said in the statement
In video of the incident that first circulated social media, a grinning Sandmann is shown in a "Make America Great Again" hat standing inches away from Phillips. The students around Sandmann were chanting and dancing along with the songs Phillips and surrounding protesters were singing and drumming.
In the statement, Sandmann said he decided to remain "motionless and calm," in an attempt to "diffuse the situation."
"I realized everyone had cameras and that perhaps a group of adults was trying to provoke a group of teenagers into a larger conflict," the statement read. "I said a silent prayer that the situation would not get out of hand."
Regarding his facial expressions that were inches from Phillips' face, Sandmann said he "was not intentionally making faces at the protester," but "did smile at one point because I wanted him to know that I was not going to become angry, intimidated or be provoked into a larger confrontation."
In a general rebuke of all the allegations that had been leveled against him from people who had seen the original video, Sandmann said his personal character doesn't line up with accusations based on the short video.
"I am a faithful Christian and practicing Catholic, and I always try to live up to the ideals my faith teaches me — to remain respectful of others, and to take no action that would lead to conflict or violence," the statement read.
Phillips offered to visit Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky to "have a dialog about cultural appropriation, racism, and the importance of listening to and respecting diverse cultures."
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