A May rally in support of Traversie drew hundreds of people, many of whom said his story exemplifies the racism that Native Americans experience in Rapid City. But others said they couldn't make out the letters, including police who investigated his allegations. No criminal charges were filed.

The defendants in the lawsuit said there is no medical evidence to suggest that anyone burned or cut letters into Traversie.

"Every mark on Plaintiff's abdomen is explained by the medical procedures that he underwent to save his life," Jeffrey Hurd, one of the defendant's lawyers, wrote in response to the lawsuit. "Indeed, the allegations of a `KKK' scar were apparently created by a group of unqualified people in Plaintiff's home town, who simply discussed why Plaintiff had certain surgical scars."

The lawyer noted that the people who told Traversie about his scars considered several possibilities, including a single "K," a bite mark, the word "oink," or four "K"s, before settling on the three-letter acronym.