Lawsuit alleges Infowars’ Alex Jones defamed man
A man whose image was used by Infowars to depict the Parkland, Fla., school shooting suspect as a communist is suing the conspiracy website and its founder Alex Jones for $1 million.
A petition filed in Travis County District Court on behalf of Marcel Fontaine, a Massachusetts resident with no ties to the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, says an article published on InfoWars using his picture has resulted in “enormous injury and continuing personal harassment.”
The petition says the article, published on Feb. 14, appeared under the following headlines: “Reported Florida Shooter Dressed as Communist, Supported ISIS,” “Florida Shooter Inspired by ISIS – ALLAHU AKBAR,” and “Reported Florida Shooter Discussed ‘Allahu Akbar’ on Instagram Profile.” The site also showed Fontaine wearing a shirt that made a pun on the phrase “communist party,” the lawsuit alleges.
“That novelty T-shirt, sold by online retailer Threadless. com, makes a visual pun on the phrase ‘communist party’ by depicting communist historical figures in a state or merriment and intoxication, complete with German economist Karl Marx wearing a lampshade on his head,” the document says.
According to the petition, Fontaine contacted InfoWars to demand a correction, but they never responded.
“Multiple iterations of the article included a photograph of the plaintiff, Marcel Fontaine, and the articles conveyed the impression that the photograph depicted the suspected Douglas High School shooter,” the petition says.
The document says Fontaine’s photo has been shared around the world.
Authorities have charged 18-year-old former student Nikolas Cruz in the school shooting, but some still sus- pect Fontaine of being part of a larger conspiracy and harass him, the lawsuit says.
“Mr. Fontaine continues to suffer harassment and peril even from individuals aware of his identity as a Massachusetts resident, but who nevertheless remain convinced he was part of a horrifying conspiracy,” the petition says.
“As part of InfoWars’ reckless money-making scheme, Mr. Jones is causing his audience to disbelieve the basic facts of the incident in favor (of ) a labyrinth conspiracy that calls into question the very nature of reality,” the petition says.