And plenty of people on HN (and elsewhere) swallowed the bait hook, line, and sinker. If you look at the thread on HN from yesterday you'll see plenty of people buying the story unquestionably (though fortunately there were a decent number of people expressing doubt). The problem is that stories like these gain traction and reinforce false narratives about the nature of racial discrimination and other issues.

A lie travels halfway around the world before the truth gets its pants on.