"The Central Park Five," the group of men wrongly convicted as teenagers in a sensational New York City rape case, is reportedly suing former President Donald Trump for making "false and defamatory" statements about them during last month's presidential debate.
The lawsuit claims Trump intentionally acted with "reckless disregard" for the truth when he stated that the group pleaded guilty to raping and beating a woman as she jogged through Manhattan more than 30 years ago, according to CNN.
The suit also accuses the former president of falsely claiming that the group "killed a person" in the attack.
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It all stems from a 1989 case, in which a 28-year-old female jogger was raped in New York City's Central Park. In the aftermath, Yusef Salaam, along with Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise, found themselves arrested and accused of the heinous crime.
At the time, Trump took out a full-page ad that appeared in several New York City newspapers, reading "BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY. BRING BACK OUR POLICE!"
Despite being under the age of 17 at the time, all five teens were wrongfully convicted and endured years of unjust imprisonment before they were ultimately exonerated in 2002 when DNA evidence linked another person to the crime.
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The group's lawsuit claims Trump's comments on the debate stage caused them "severe emotional distress," according to CNN. They are seeking an unspecified amount in compensatory and punitive damages.
