Trayvon Martin: Spike Lee in Talks With Couple Forced to Flee Home

Spike Lee, the noted film director and civil rights activist, is in talks to resolve complaints from a Florida couple who say they were forced from their home when he retweeted their address to his Twitter followers as part of the ongoing furor surrounding the shooting of Trayvon Martin.

Elaine and David McClain, in their 70s, left their Sanford, Fla., home after their address was tweeted by a man who thought he had found the home of George Zimmerman, the 28-year-old who shot Martin, 17.

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The McClains happen to have a son named William George Zimmerman who lived there in 1995. Their son is not related to the George Zimmerman who shot Martin.

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The McClains unwittingly found themselves caught up in the fury — and have hired an attorney.

“At this point, we are officially in talks with Spike Lee’s camp. They have expressed the desire to settle this in a good faith manner,” the McClains’ attorney, Matt Morgan, said in a telephone interview Thursday morning.

Lee has apologized for his action. On Wednesday night, he tweeted: “I Deeply Apologize To The McClain Family For Retweeting Their Address. It Was A Mistake. Please Leave The McClain’s In Peace. Justice In Court.”

Morgan said his clients “have very reasonable demands and I believe Spike Lee will meet them.”

But the incident goes beyond a case of mistaken identity, Morgan said. The McClains are hoping to use the dispute as a way of showing that different races can settle at least some of their problems even amid the rancor of the Trayvon Martin shooting, which has roiled racial tensions in Sanford and across the country.

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