Case 1:18-cv-01011-RMC Document 42 Filed 08/09/19 Page 2 of 19
hung nooses with bananas inscribed with racist and derogatory messages around the AU campus,
including near the Mary Graden Center, the student center which houses the AU Student
Government offices. Am. Compl. [Dkt. 16] ¶¶ 51, 61, 63-64. It is alleged that the bananas were
inscribed with phrases such as “AKA Free” (a reference to Ms. Dumpson’s sorority, Alpha
Kappa Alpha) and “Harambe bait” (a reference to a gorilla because comparing African
Americans to apes is a common racist slur). Id. ¶ 64. Ms. Dumpson, AU, and law enforcement
all believed Ms. Dumpson to be “the primary target of the hate crime.” Id. ¶ 74.
After the media reported on this crime, Mr. Anglin posted an article about Ms.
Dumpson on his website, the Daily Stormer,1 writing: “No one feels safe around bananas. Some
racists have taken to calling this African Queen ‘Dumpy Dumpson,’ smdh [shaking my damn
head].” Id. ¶¶ 89-90. Mr. Anglin then published Ms. Dumpson’s name, photo, and direct links
to her Facebook account and the AU Student Government Twitter account with which Ms.
Dumpson was associated as AU Student Government President. Id. ¶ 90. Mr. Anglin further
directed his followers to “troll storm”2 Ms. Dumpson, id. ¶ 2, encouraging them to troll Ms.
Dumpson saying: “Be sure to send her some words of support on Facebook, and hit up the AU
Student Government on Twitter. Let her know that you fully support her struggle against
bananas.” Id. ¶ 90.
1
Mr. Anglin is the founder and publisher of the Daily Stormer. Am. Compl. ¶ 25. Mr. Anglin
registered Moonbase Holdings, a for-profit, limited-liability corporation under the laws of the
State of Ohio. Id. ¶ 30. Moonbase Holdings provides Mr. Anglin and the Daily Stormer with
financial support. Id.
2
“‘Troll storms’ involve the coordinated trolling of a person by multiple individuals via
messages sent over social media platforms, postal mail, and phone.” Am. Compl. ¶ 25 n.11.
“Trolling is mocking, insulting, harassing, threatening, humiliating, defaming, and/or
intimidating a targeted person through communications (typically, but not exclusively, online).”
Id. ¶ 20.
2