MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The founder of a far-right men's group called the Proud Boys is suing the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling the organization a hate group.
Gavin McInnes filed the defamation lawsuit Monday in federal court in Alabama. The lawsuit contends the designation is false and damaged his career.
McInnes was a co-founder of Vice Media. He founded the Proud Boys, an organization that describes members as "western chauvinists."
SPLC President Richard Cohen said the lawsuit is meritless and McInnes has a history of "inflammatory statements about Muslims, women, and the transgender community."
In June the SPLC apologized to a British group and its founder and agreed to pay $3.4 million after labeling them anti-Muslim extremists. Several lawsuits have been filed against SPLC or its leaders since then.
