Altered Down syndrome student's picture prompts $18M lawsuit
NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -
A smiling moment for a Middle Tennessee family has turned into a multi-million dollar lawsuit.
The picture of a man with Down syndrome taken in 2004 was repeatedly altered and posted online, prompting the lawsuit.
In the picture, Adam Holland is smiling big for the camera. The picture shows Holland and a picture he drew during for an art class at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.
The class was for those with developmental disabilities.
"He's a very likable, very presentable young man who I don't think fully appreciates the hurt that's been inflicted on him," said Holland's attorney Larry Crain.
Holland was 19 when he proudly held up his work of art. The picture was posted to the web but nearly a decade later it has become something else.
http://www.wsmv.com/story/22104625/altered-down-syndrome-students-picture-prompts-18m-lawsuit
= new reply since forum marked as read
On one hand, I can see how having your image pulled into an Internet meme could be hurtful and humiliating, and you can bet that I'd be calling my lawyers if my own image were ever used that way. On the other hand, I don't like the idea of suing someone just because they shared a funny meme image they found on Facebook.
Should someone be able to sue another for editing and sharing their photo in a hurtful or embarassing way? What if this guy decided to sue me or DU because I posted this image:
