Wanetta Gibson

Wanetta Gibson is an American woman who was a high school classmate of Brian Banks. In 2002, she falsely accused Banks of kidnapping and raping her, leading to his arrest and a subsequent conviction. The case, which gained significant public attention, was later overturned after Gibson confessed to fabricating the allegations.

False Accusation and Confession

In March 2011, Gibson contacted Banks via Facebook and met with him in the presence of a private investigator hired by Banks. During this meeting, she admitted to fabricating the story. Banks secretly recorded the confession, but according to him and his investigator, Gibson later refused to inform prosecutors of her deception, possibly to avoid returning money she and her family had received from the court settlement. The motivations behind her initial false accusation remain unclear.

Legal Consequences

In 2013, the Long Beach Unified School District secured a $2.6 million judgment against Gibson. This included $750,000 in payments previously made to her, attorney's fees, interest, and $1 million in punitive damages. Gibson failed to appear in court for the proceedings.

See Also

• Brian Banks

References

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