Black Church Gains Ownership of Proud Boys Trademark After Legal Ruling

A Washington D.C. judge awarded the Metropolitan AME Church control of the far-right group's name and symbols following a 2020 vandalism incident.

The Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., now owns the Proud Boys trademark, including the group's name and symbols, after a court ruling on February 3, 2025.
The decision fulfills a $2.8 million default judgment against the Proud Boys, which the group failed to pay after being found liable for vandalizing the church in December 2020.
The church can now block the Proud Boys from using their name or symbols and has the right to monetize them, including seizing profits from merchandise sales.
The 2020 incident involved Proud Boys members trespassing on church property and burning a Black Lives Matter banner, actions described by the court as 'hateful and overtly racist.'
Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, recently pardoned by President Trump, called the ruling unjust and has criticized the judge and the church's nonprofit status.