Papers, College Sued by Jewell for Blast Stories

ATLANTA — Richard Jewell sued the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the college where he once worked as a security guard on Tuesday, accusing them of libeling him in stories linking him to the Olympic park bombing.

Jewell’s lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, accuses the newspapers of portraying him as a man with “a bizarre employment history and an aberrant personality” who likely was guilty of placing the bomb.

Those stories quoted Piedmont College President Ray Cleere as describing Jewell as a “badge-wearing zealot” who “would write epic police reports for minor infractions,” the lawsuit said.

Lin Wood, a lawyer for Jewell, called the lawsuit “the first step in what will be a long and hard-fought battle against a billion-dollar corporation that tried and convicted Richard Jewell for a crime he did not commit.”

Meanwhile, Jewell and his mother settled a complaint against CNN for an undisclosed amount, according to a joint statement issued by CNN and Jewell’s lawyers.

Last month, Jewell reached a settlement with NBC over comments anchorman Tom Brokaw made on the air about Jewell shortly after the bombing. The Wall Street Journal reported the settlement was worth $500,000.