COLLIN COUNTY, Texas — A Collin County jury has ordered a mother and her attorney to pay $3.2 million to a teenager they accused of racially motivated bullying tied to a 2021 sleepover incident that drew national attention.
The jury found that Summer Smith and attorney Kim Cole intentionally inflicted emotional distress and publicized private information about Asher Vann, now 19. The case stems from a February 2021 birthday sleepover in Plano in which Smith’s son was allegedly pressured to drink urine. A Snapchat video of the incident went viral, sparking widespread outrage and leading to more than $100,000 in donations through a GoFundMe campaign created by Cole.
Vann testified that while his actions were “immature” and “stupid,” they were not racially motivated. He said the public backlash deeply affected his life and future plans. “There was no winner in the end,” Vann said after the verdict.
Smith said she would continue to defend her son and described the incident as “vile.” Cole said she plans to appeal, arguing the ruling was unjust and denying that she disclosed Vann’s private information.
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