A massive payout of over $1 million has been awarded to two teens who sued their elite California Catholic school after being kicked out over a “blackface” selfie — when they were actually using skincare masks.
When they were just 14 years old in 2017, the boys attended a sleepover and applied a face mask purchased by one of their mothers, which turned from light to dark green once dry.
The students, referred to as A.H. and H.H. in their lawsuit viewed by the Los Angeles Times, said they took a selfie with the skin treatment on in solidarity with a friend who was suffering from severe acne.
The seemingly innocent picture didn’t cause any trouble until three years later — during the height of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd.
The photo went viral on social media, prompting Saint Francis High School in Mountain View to expel A.H. and H.H.
According to the lawsuit, school officials did not offer the boys a hearing and did not consider any evidence.
A Santa Clara County jury agreed with the teens this week that the school was in breach of an oral contract and did not afford them due process before kicking them out, the Times reported. The students’ other claims, including defamation and violation of free speech, were rejected by the court Monday.
Each teen was awarded $500,000, and an additional tuition reimbursement of about $70,000.
“This case is significant not only for our clients but for its groundbreaking effect on all private high schools in California, which are now legally required to provide fair procedure to students before punishing or expelling them,” said Krista Baughman, a member of the students’ legal team.
“The jury rightly confirmed that Saint Francis High School’s procedures were unfair to our clients and that the school is not above the law.”
While the boys and their parents initially sought $20 million, A.H.’s family celebrated that the teens’ names will be “cleared” in a statement to the outlet.
“We want to sincerely thank the jury and the court system for helping our boys and our families find justice, which now paves the way for their names to be cleared for things they never did.”
Representatives for Saint Francis said they “respectfully disagree with the jury’s conclusion as to the lesser claim regarding the fairness of our disciplinary review process,” and that they are “exploring legal options” such as appealing the verdict.