Plano, Texas. A Collin County district judge signed a final judgment ordering Summer Smith and attorney Kim Cole to pay damages to Asher Vann after a jury verdict in a civil case tied to widely publicized 2021 allegations involving a middle school get-together that claimed white students had targeted and “tortured” a Black classmate during a sleepover in Plano.
By Law Officer Staff for Law Officer
According to the final judgment, a jury returned a verdict on October 30, 2025, and the court later entered judgment awarding Vann $1,599,000 against Cole and $1,599,000 against Smith for intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy, with post-judgment interest listed at 7.5 percent. The order was rendered on October 30, 2025, and signed on January 22, 2026.
In court filings, Vann and his father, Aaron Vann, described a different version of events and argued the incident was mischaracterized publicly. Their amended petition says the boys were friends, that the gathering took place during the February 2021 winter storm weekend, and that the group participated in a juvenile prank and BB gun activity that, according to the filing, was not racially motivated. The filing alleges that Smith, Cole, and an unnamed third party “intentionally twisted” the events to fit a false narrative and that the resulting media exposure led to reputational damage and safety concerns.
The Washington Free Beacon reported that the controversy drew extensive national media attention at the time and later became the subject of a civil trial. The outlet also reported that criminal charges were initially filed related to the BB gun allegations, but a grand jury declined to proceed, and that a Plano Police Department officer testified in a deposition that she did not believe there was probable cause and pursued charges out of caution amid public pressure.
The Free Beacon further reported that the defense disputed the claim that the student was forced to drink urine, and that the circumstances were portrayed publicly in a way that escalated anger and protests.
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