A judge has awarded a historic Black church in Washington control over the Proud Boys trademark. The update comes after the far-right group defaulted on a $2.8 million judgment. The Monday ruling in the D.C. Superior Court grants rights to the trademark of the group’s name to the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church.
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What Else To Know About Proud Boys’ Trademark Loss
Additionally, the ruling bans the Proud Boys members from selling any merchandise with its name or symbols without the church’s consent. It also allows the church to try to snatch any coins the Proud Boys made from selling the group’s merchandise.
For context, Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal sued to recoup damages after members of the Proud Boys vandalized the church. This happened after a pro-Donald Trump rally in December 2020. The members tore down and burned Black Lives Matter banners at two churches, including Metropolitan African Methodist. There were also violent clashes between opposing protesters, and arrests were made that night.
The church lawsuit called the actions on Dec. 12, 2020, “acts of terror” and said they were meant to intimidate the members of the church. A default judgment was awarded to the church in June 2023. After the Proud Boys failed to make its payments and to communicate with the court or their reps, lawyers for the church filed a motion in December seeking rights to the trademark.
Far-Rights Group Leader Reacts To Ruling
Enrique Tarrio, then the leader of the Proud Boys, confessed to participating in the burnings. A judge later sentenced him to more than five months in jail on those and other charges. Later, he received a 22-year sentence in federal prison for orchestrating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot.
Lucky for Tarrio, President Donald Trump has been lenient, to say the least, with the Proud Boys and their acts at the infamous riot. On his first day in office, Trump granted pardons, commutations or vowed to dismiss cases against the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol— including Tarrio.
Case records show the lawsuit was served to Tarrio at the federal prison where he was housed when it was filed, as well as to at least one other address associated with him and another member. In a lengthy statement posted to X, Tarrio reacted to the judge’s ruling on the group’s trademark.
“The presiding judge has denied due process to myself and the other defendants, preventing us from presenting a proper defense.”
Tarrio also suggested in separate posts that the Proud Boys rename themselves “African Methodist Episcopal Boys ” and asked for suggestions on a new name.
An attorney representing the church in the civil action did not respond to a request for comment. Nayib Hassan, Tarrio’s attorney, declined to comment.
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Associated Press staff contributed to this report.
