More than $1 million awarded to two teens who sued an elite California Catholic school after they were expelled for a selfie they took in “blackface” while actually using a skincare mask compensation was paid.
In 2017, when they were just 14 years old, the boys attended a slumber party and applied face masks that one of their mothers had bought, which turned from light green to dark green as it dried.
The students are referred to among themselves as AH and HH. lawsuit seen by Los Angeles Times, In solidarity with a friend who suffers from severe acne, she took a selfie while applying skin care.
The seemingly innocuous photo didn’t cause trouble until three years later, at the height of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
The photo went viral on social media, and St. Francis High School in Mountain View expelled AH and HH.
St. Francis High School in California was forced to pay $500,000 each to two male students.
A woke school has expelled two teenagers for making “racist blackface” in a selfie.
After all, it was an acne treatment. pic.twitter.com/LO1RPF5ALe
— End Wakeness (@EndWokeness) May 9, 2024
School officials did not give the boys a hearing or consider any evidence, according to the complaint.
A Santa Clara County jury this week agreed with the teens that the school violated a verbal contract and failed to follow due process before expelling them. times report. The students’ other claims, including defamation and freedom of speech violations, were dismissed by the court on Monday.
The teens were each given $500,000, plus about $70,000 in additional tuition reimbursement.
“This case is important not only for our clients, but also because it has groundbreaking implications for all private high schools in California. Now, before punishing or expelling a student, high schools must We are legally required to provide a fair process for our students,” said student member Krista Bowman. ” Legal team.
“The jury duly found that St. Francis High School’s procedures were unfair to our clients and that the school was not above the law.”
The boys and their parents had originally sought $20 million, but in a statement to the same media, AH’s family celebrated the “clearing” of the boys’ names.
“I would like to sincerely thank the jury and court system for helping our boys and their families find justice, paving the way for them to be exonerated for something they did not do. It was.”
St. Francis’ representatives said in a statement that they “respectfully disagree with the jury’s findings regarding minor allegations regarding the fairness of the disciplinary review process” and are “exploring legal options,” including appealing the verdict.
