Some see white livestreamer's freedom of speech claims as cover for race-baiting

A shooting involving a white livestreamer known for filming himself provoking people with racist words that left a Black man wounded has reignited debate over freedom of speech and content creators who monetize hate-filled interactions.

As more users of livestreaming social media platforms find being performative with bigoted language can draw big bucks, the line is blurring between freedom of expression and freedom for people to feel safe. Even within livestreaming communities, some assert they have a right to say whatever and earn revenue while others support having boundaries.

Racial justice advocates worry throwing money into the equation will only heighten and normalize racist antics. As for regulation, it can feel lawless out on the social media landscape. It is often left up to platforms to self-regulate and hold users accountable for obscene and abusive words. But, experts say, at some point laws for offline behavior can trump online freedoms.

Dalton Eatherly, who goes by the moniker “Chud the Builder,” is facing charges including attempted murder after allegedly shooting another man last week outside the Montgomery County Courthouse in Clarksville, Tennessee, authorities said. Eatherly, now held on a $1.25 million preliminary bond, has a full bond hearing scheduled Thursday.

Eatherly, 28, and the victim got into a “physical altercation that escalated to gunfire,” the local sheriff's office said. A witness described the man, who was shot multiple times, as Black. Eatherly is white.

In an audio stream from just after the shooting, Eatherly said he shot in self-defense. It's unclear if the men exchanged any words beforehand. His attorney, Jacob Fendley, didn't comment on the charges when contacted by The Associated Press two days after Eatherly's arrest.

An online fundraiser for Eatherly raised over $100,000 within a day for his legal assistance. He also has defended his videos on the crowdsourcing site as “mild jokes, unfiltered thoughts.”

While he has sometimes defended using a racial slur as “edgy, harmless humor,” Eatherly wrote, "I know it’s controversial, but it’s my right to speak freely.”

It is reminiscent of an incident from a year ago when a white Minnesota woman was captured on cellphone video admitting to calling a child a racist slur. She amassed over $800,000 on GiveSendGo and also pointed to her First Amendment rights.

The freedom of speech argument does not hold water in such instances, according to the 41-year-old live-streamer and content creator who goes by SendaRoni Sloscru online.

“When you get to terrorizing and doing all this hate speech, that’s when the line gets drawn, especially when nobody is bothering you,” said Los Angeles-based SendaRoni. “Whatever platform is allowing him to get away with that is basically race-baiting, and I just think in this day and time you got people who are going to laugh at it or people who will beat you to death about it.”

“Race-baiting" content creates immediate risk for Black bystanders, said Brandon Tucker, senior director of government affairs for civil rights organization Color of Change. There's a “power imbalance” with a livestreamer who is attracting an audience.

“The same free speech that this individual wants to advocate for doesn't recognize the chilling of my response to know that I cannot react in any reasonable way because my face, my safety, my family's safety is in jeopardy and being broadcast to an audience that most likely aligns with this person's views,” Tucker said.

These streaming platforms cannot claim neutrality if they're essentially financially rewarding users for using racist language to agitate, he said.

Eatherly was streaming on Pump.fun, a platform where users create and trade cryptocurrency tokens. Token creators have used the livestream feature to gain notice in some outrageous ways such as dangerous stunts and threatening violence. In November 2024, Pump.fun paused the feature because people were violating terms of service by uploading abusive, obscene or dishonest messages.

“It's not clear what was done to improve that situation before it was reinstated,” said Kate Ruane, director of the free expression program at the Center for Democracy and Technology. “If you're relying on users to report and none of the users that are viewing these livestreams disagree or have a problem with what they're seeing, you might not be getting the user reports that you should."

Pump.fun did not responded to an email sent Wednesday requesting comment.

Brandon Golob, a criminology, law and society professor at University of California, Irvine, said the number of livestreaming platforms has grown but self-regulation can still feel like ‘the Wild West.’

The First Amendment, however, is not a blanket shield from real-world laws against harassment, hate crimes and provocation.

“The reality is that when it involves two private individuals, state law is going to govern,” Golob said. “We just want to make sure that we’re not conflating government responsibility or government censorship with private accountability.”

SendaRoni says he's been livestreaming for a few years and has “tens of thousands” of followers across a number of social media platforms.

“I usually talk about social issues. I speak on trending events, news,” he said adding that a number of livestreamers addressed Eatherly's antics following the shooting in Clarksville.

“I think he tried to find people he’d get a reaction out of,” SendaRoni said. “When you do things such as that the end results are not going to be exciting. You’re acting like no one has a reason not to be disgusted and you made a mockery of yourself.”

Leading livestream platforms such as YouTube and Twitch do have an infrastructure for content moderation — and community guidelines barring hate speech and slurs. They utilize automated detection and user reports.

Both Golob and Ruane advise people to know their rights on how to handle livestreamers who are making them uncomfortable. Ruane says it's OK “to film them right back.”

“Make sure that you're sharing a different version of the story because whatever First Amendment rights they might be exercising, you have them too,” Ruane said. “Make sure that is being published at the same time and that can serve as a form of pushback in and of itself.”

Dalton Eatherly, who goes by the moniker Chud the Builder, attends a hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Clarksville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Adin Parks)

Dalton Eatherly, who goes by the moniker Chud the Builder, attends a hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Clarksville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Adin Parks)

Dalton Eatherly, who goes by the moniker Chud the Builder, attends a hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Clarksville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Adin Parks)

Jake Lang is escorted out of a hearing for Dalton Eatherly, who goes by the moniker Chud the Builder, at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Clarksville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Adin Parks)

Dalton Eatherly, who goes by the moniker Chud the Builder, speaks with attorney Jacob Fendley during a hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Clarksville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Adin Parks)

This photo provided by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department shows Dalton Eatherly in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, May 10, 2026, after his arrest. (Metropolitan Nashville Police via AP)

A Sheriff's deputy investigates a shooting scene outside the Montgomery County Courthouse, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Clarksville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida State fired athletics director Michael Alford on Monday morning, school president Dr. Richard McCullough announced.

Alford had been Florida State’s athletics director since January 2022 after he was hired in the fall of 2020 to be the president of Seminole Boosters, Inc.

“Michael Alford has served the University and our student-athletes with dedication, and we thank him for his contributions to our athletics programs,” McCullough said in a statement.

The dismissal was without cause, McCullough said. It’s not clear how much Alford is owed by Florida State on a four-year deal that was announced in August 2024.

McCullough, speaking later Monday, said the decision to fire Alford was necessary to compete in a college sports landscape that “is changing incredibly rapidly.”

“This is a first step in working toward doing everything that we can to build revenue and take a look at the kind of administration that we need moving forward,” McCullough said. “We’re going through a time where the investments that we’re making in college football is rapidly increasing.

“People often say that we have a spending problem. But the spending problem is essentially a reality. The reality is that’s what it takes to be competitive at the highest level.”

McCullough appointed Bruce Warwick, currently senior associate athletics director, to serve as interim athletics director. There will be a national search for Alford’s replacement.

“It is important that we remain dedicated to providing continuity and support to our student-athletes, coaches and staff, who remain our top priority,” Warwick said in a statement.

Alford posted a statement on X saying he was proud of what he achieved at Florida State.

“We have won championships, developed outstanding young men and women and watched them earn their college degrees, built or enhanced facilities and always acted in the best interests of our student-athletes and our institution,” Alford wrote. “I believe there is a strong foundation in place for FSU Athletics and I am confident that the momentum will continue.”

The decision comes as football coach Mike Norvell is on the hot seat after two losing seasons and a lackluster 1-1 start. Florida State is a 20.5-point underdog at No. 10 Alabama on Saturday. If Norvell is replaced in the coming weeks or months, the hire will be made by a new athletics director as well as McCullough and Board of Trustees chairman Peter Collins.

McCullough has been Florida State’s president for five years. While often championing the Seminoles’ athletes at various events, he rarely holds news conferences. He was asked on Monday about Norvell, who is 39-35 in his seventh season at Florida State.

“I love Mike Norvell. He’s a great human being,” McCullough said. “I love what he does with our student-athletes. Our grades have never been better under his leadership. I love how he takes our student-athletes and helps them to be the best version of themselves. I love how he makes them competitive and we love all of that.

“And I have to tell you, nobody wants to win more than Mike Norvell. Except for maybe the players, me, chairman Collins. We want to win. Of course we want to win. College coaches are in the winning business. That’s what we’re working on.”

In his time at Florida State, Alford made significant head coach hires — men’s basketball’s Luke Loucks, baseball’s Link Jarrett, soccer’s Brian Pensky, women’s basketball’s Brooke Wyckoff and lacrosse’s Sara Tisdale. FSU launched a women’s lacrosse program in spring 2025.

Florida State also won a pair of soccer titles under Pensky’s leadership, including in December 2025.

Alford’s era at Florida State signaled massive facility projects for football, at a price tag of more than $400 million. Construction crews transformed the west side of Doak Campbell Stadium, and the football only facility that broke ground in December 2022 opened up in October 2025.

But Alford’s decision to take on the debt, do a football re-seat of Doak and drive ticket prices higher in sections of the stadium drew the ire of thousands of longtime Florida State fans.

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FILE - Florida State athletics director Michael Alford watches from the sideline before an NCAA college football game against Duke, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)