A federal jury in Boise has awarded a University of Idaho professor $10 million after determining that a Texas TikTok user was financially responsible for disseminating false claims that linked her to the 2022 stabbing deaths of four college students.
The verdict was delivered on Friday in the U.S. District Court regarding the case of Scofield v. Guillard. According to court documents and the Idaho Statesman, the jury awarded $7.5 million in punitive damages and $2.5 million in compensatory damages.
Professor Rebecca Scofield, the chair of the university’s history department, initiated the lawsuit in December 2022 against Ashley Guillard from Houston. The legal action was in response to a series of TikTok videos in which Guillard, without any substantiating evidence, accused Scofield of having a romantic involvement with one of the murder victims and orchestrating the killings.
The victims—Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin—were tragically found stabbed to death on November 13, 2022, in a rental home near the University of Idaho campus in Moscow. The incident attracted national attention and profoundly impacted the campus community.
Ashley Guillard’s TikTok videos, which falsely connected a University of Idaho professor to these brutal murders, led to the defamation lawsuit. Her social media handle is referenced as TikTok/ashleyisinthebookoflife4.
Subsequently, authorities apprehended Bryan Kohberger, who was a criminology doctoral student at Washington State University during the time of the crime. He later entered a guilty plea, which allowed him to avoid the death penalty, and is now serving four consecutive life sentences in an Idaho state prison.
In a statement to Fox News Digital following the verdict, Scofield expressed gratitude to the jury and said she hopes to close a painful chapter.
“I want to thank the jury for their time and attention to this case. The judge had already ruled as a matter of law that the statements were false. The $10 million verdict reinforces the judge’s decision and sends the clear message that false statements online have consequences in the real world for real people and are unacceptable in our community,” Scofield said.
University of Idaho students from left to right: Ethan Chapin, 20; Xana Kernodle, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21. All four were stabbed to death in an off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022. (Jazzmin Kernodle via AP/Instagram/ @kayleegoncalves)
“The murders of the four students on November 13, 2022, was the darkest chapter in our university’s history. Today’s decision shows that respect and care should always be granted to victims during these tragedies. I am hopeful that this difficult chapter in my life is over, and I can return to a more normal life with my family and the wonderful Moscow community.”
Court filings show that in June 2024, Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Raymond Patricco determined that Guillard’s statements were legally defamatory, leaving only the question of monetary damages for a jury to decide.
According to the complaint, Guillard began posting videos in late November 2022 claiming Scofield had secretly been involved with one of the students and had “ordered” the killings. The lawsuit states Scofield had never met any of the victims and was out of state when the murders occurred.
People lay flowers and pay respects at the University of Idaho on Tuesday, November 15, 2022. Four students were murdered in Moscow, Idaho over the weekend. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
The filing further alleges that Guillard continued publishing the accusations even after receiving cease-and-desist letters and after police publicly indicated Scofield was not connected to the crime.
At the time, Guillard’s TikTok account had garnered more than 100,000 followers, with some of the videos receiving millions of interactions, according to court documents.
Scofield’s legal team argued the statements amounted to defamation because they accused her of criminal conduct and professional misconduct that could jeopardize her academic career.
During the damages trial, Scofield described the emotional toll of seeing her name associated with the murders online, according to the Idaho Statesman. Jurors deliberated for less than two hours before returning their verdict, the outlet reported.
Guillard, who represented herself in court, has maintained that her statements were expressions of belief tied to tarot card readings, according to courtroom coverage.
It was not immediately known whether she intends to appeal. Fox News Digital has reached out to Guillard for comment.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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