Manoah Ainuu, a professional rock and ice climber of Ethiopian and Samoan descent, is facing a defamation lawsuit over allegations he falsely accused a white outdoor gear designer of making racist comments during a June 2023 interaction, leading to the white outdoor gear designer losing his job.
America First Legal filed the civil complaint on Monday in Montana’s federal court district, on behalf of Jonathan Talbot. Mr. Talbot had worked for Outdoor Research, LLC until shortly after meeting Mr. Ainuu at a bar in Bozeman, Montana, on June 20. The interaction led Mr. Ainuu to accuse Mr. Talbot of being “racist and entitled” and said the Outdoor Research employee “tried to fight me.” Mr. Ainuu subsequently took to social media to drive a campaign calling for Outdoor Research to reprimand or fire Mr. Talbot.
According to the lawsuit, Mr. Talbot approached Mr. Ainuu and spoke to him only briefly before the professional rock climber got upset. The two happened to be walking toward the same bar in Bozeman and, once inside, Mr. Ainuu began pointing at Mr. Talbot, calling him a racist and directing other patrons to take out their phones and record the scene. A bartender then approached Mr. Talbot, asking what was going on, to which the Outdoor Research employee responded that he wasn’t entirely sure. Mr. Talbot again spoke with Mr. Ainuu in an effort to resolve the situation.
Hours after their interaction in the bar, Mr. Ainuu took to Instagram with his version of the event.
“[Mr. Talbot] came up to me and started talking all this stuff, started asking questions—very directly—about diversity. And I answered honestly, and he kept cutting me off, didn’t want to hear what he was wanting to hear, but what he was asking for, which is very, very obvious,” Mr. Ainuu’s initial Instagram post read. “So, when I started to check him on it and correct him and direct him and educate his ass for free—for free, free, free, free, free—he got very defensive. So, I said yo, we’re done talking—this conversation is over bro.”
In the Instagram post, Mr. Ainuu said that once inside the bar, Mr. Talbot became apologetic and attempted to shake his hand.
“[Mr. Talbot] just started apologizing over and over again and I’m like ‘if you’re apologetic buy me a beer at least. That’s the minimum you can do,'” Mr. Ainuu’s Instagram post continued. “And right after that, he squared up to me got right in my face like this, and he’s like, ‘I didn’t do anything wrong.’ How do you apologize and say you don’t do anything wrong within like five seconds? Oh, because you’re not truly apologetic. So, this guy John who designs product or something for you guys OR, please [expletive] check him. This guy’s tripping, he’s racist.”
NTD News reached out to Mr. Ainuu for more specifics about his brief conversation with Mr. Talbot and what led him to accuse the Outdoor Research employee of being “racist.” Mr. Ainuu did not respond by the time this article was published.
Climber Called for Gear Designer’s ‘Extermination’
In a subsequent Instagram post, Mr. Ainuu addressed Outdoor Research directly.
“[Mr. Talbot] is not a good representation of your great brand. I hope there are repercussions, or at least a corporate talk … ideally an extermination,” Mr. Ainuu wrote in an Instagram post that tagged the Outdoor Research account.
Mr. Ainuu further directed his followers to reshare his social media posts “in case OR doesn’t respond.”
“Aye all my (majority) white followers/allies [emoji]. This is your call out,” Mr. Ainuu wrote in one post, apparently addressing his white followers. “My flesh really wanted to educate jon. Self-control is draining and exercised too often. Please help me take care of this boy. I can see if you watch and don’t share, whether from uncomfortability or apathy. Much love.”
According to the complaint, Outdoor Research did eventually terminate Mr. Talbot’s employment, costing him a job he’d only had since March 2023, that came with a base salary of $115,000.
The complaint alleges Mr. Ainuu eventually “admitted” to Outdoor Research that Mr. Talbot had not actually said anything racist or offensive, but Outdoor Research still caved to the pressure brought by Mr. Ainuu’s social media followers, leaving Mr. Talbot “with no job and a besmirched reputation, and unable to secure work in his chosen profession.”
NTD News reached out to Outdoor Research for comment about its termination decision, but the company did not respond by the time this article was published.
Mr. Ainuu is sponsored by The North Face, another outdoor gear company and natural business competitor to Outdoor Research. In addition to accusing Mr. Ainuu of defamation, the lawsuit alleges The North Face approved of Mr. Ainuu’s actions, with North Face’s Global Senior Athlete Coordinator resharing Mr. Ainuu’s claims against Mr. Talbot on his own social media account.
NTD News reached out to The North Face for comment, but the outdoor gear company also did not respond by the time this article was published.
