A lawyer for a 22-year-old Black man who was spat on during a Black Lives Matter protest as a teen said a “disappointing” settlement was reached in the case, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Eric Lucas, who legally changed his name in 2023 due to publicity from the case, was 18 when he initially filed a civil lawsuit against Stephanie Rapkin. Rapkin spat in Lucas’ face during a BLM protest in the summer of 2020.
Last month, a jury supported Lucas’ case, saying Rapkin was guilty of assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The parties reached a settlement, but it was “less than we anticipated,” attorney William Sulton said.
“It was surprising and disappointing, given the evidence we had,” Sulton said of the civil verdict. “Much of it included the exhibits that were presented during the criminal trial just a year earlier.
“We had video of her spitting in a person’s face … but this jury came to the verdict that it came to,” he added.
A jury previously found Rapkin guilty of misdemeanor disorderly conduct in an April 2023 criminal trial. Rapkin was sentenced to one year of probation, but she instead requested to serve 60 days in prison.
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