A judge in Washington, D.C. ruled on Monday that the trademarks belonging to the Proud Boys are now awarded to the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown D.C.
This decision means the far-right group can no longer use its name, and it also opens the door for the church to seize any profits the Proud Boys might make from selling merchandise such as hats and T-shirts featuring their name or iconic symbols, including the black and yellow laurel wreath.
The church, which has hosted notable figures such as Frederick Douglass, Oprah Winfrey, and former President Barack Obama, filed a lawsuit against the Proud Boys in January 2021. The suit came after the group vandalized Black Lives Matter signs during the unrest following a December 2020 rally for then-President Trump. Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio admitted to the crime and pleaded guilty in July 2021. In 2023, a court ordered the Proud Boys to pay the church more than $1 million in damages, but the group failed to comply, leading to the judge’s ruling on Monday.
Tarrio, who was recently pardoned by Trump after pleading guilty to charges involving a high-capacity magazine in the District, criticized the decision as a “betrayal of justice.” Members of the Proud Boys were also seen marching in Washington, D.C. on Inauguration Day.
In light of the ruling, Tarrio told the New York Times that the church should have its non-profit status revoked and wants Bosier to be impeached.
“Their actions are a betrayal of justice,” Tarrio said, referring to judges Bosier and Kravitz.
“I hold in contempt any motions, judgments and orders issued against me.”
It is unclear how or if the church wants to use its new power over the Proud Boys’, but the door has been opened if they choose to do so.
