Two former California high school students have been awarded $1 million and tuition refunds after claiming they were forced to expel their school in 2020 for wearing acne masks that were interpreted as “blackface” by authorities and community members. Ta.
The two former St. Francis High School (SFHS) students, now 21, are accused of “racism” after a 2017 photo of them wearing acne masks was circulated in June 2020 during the Black Lives Matter movement. descendants,” the lawsuit states. .
“This case not only has a groundbreaking impact for all private high schools in California, but also ensures that students are given justice before they are punished or expelled,” Krista Lee Bowman, an attorney for the former students, said in a statement. “We are legally obligated to take appropriate steps.” Emailed to USA TODAY. “The jury duly found that St. Francis High School’s procedures were unfair to our clients and that the school did not disregard the law.”
The boys sued SFHS, the president of SFHS and the parents of SFHS students, for breach of contract, defamation, and two other violations of their legal rights. The Los Angeles Times reported that a jury on May 6 awarded one former student $500,000 plus tuition reimbursement, totaling about $70,000.
Why did people interpret acne face masks as blackface?
The story behind the photos dates back to when one of the men, who was 14 at the time, was suffering from “adolescent acne,” according to the suit. On his mother’s advice, in August 2017, he and a friend, who is not named in the lawsuit, “applied white acne face masks to their faces.”
The two boys thought they looked “stupid,” so they “took time-stamped photos of themselves wearing masks,” the suit says. The next day, the boys asked their friend Holden Hughes, 14, to put on the masks, but this time the masks were “light green in color,” according to the complaint.
Bowman said Hughes agreed to have his name published, but the other boy, referred to in the lawsuit as “AH,” asked to remain anonymous.
Hughes, AH and another minor put on green face masks and then took another “stupid photo,” according to the complaint. According to the lawsuit, the misconception that the boys had blackface stemmed from the fact that the acne face masks turned “dark green by the time they were applied to the face and dried.”
The boys were “scapegoats,” the lawsuit says.
The charges against the boys surfaced in 2020 amid “a series of racial scandals involving a small number of SFHS students and recent graduates” that have “plagued the SFHS community,” according to the complaint.
“[Hughes and AH]had nothing to do with these horrific acts of racism. Nevertheless,[SFHS and the other defendants named in the lawsuit]did not commit any malicious acts.” , took for himself an innocent and completely unrelated photo of the boys,” and the completely false accusation that the boys were doing “blackface,” and that the photo was “another example” of racism at SFHS. “He recklessly claimed that,” the complaint states.
Because of the backlash caused by the photo, SFHS issued a statement to A.H. and (Hughes) saying that the teens would have to ‘voluntarily withdraw’ or face immediate expulsion before their high school careers were scheduled to begin. and forced him to do so,” the lawsuit states. The complaint calls the boys “scapegoats” and notes that their parents met with the SHFS principal, during which the principal discussed the school’s decision to “effectively expel AH and (Hughes).” verbally admitted that it was not intentional, but rather a matter of optics.
“While SFHS did not believe that the boys had acted in a racist or discriminatory manner, the school’s priorities were to ensure that the school, even at the expense of its own students, “They have openly acknowledged that they are paying lip service to how SFHS is viewed.”
“It’s worth the sacrifice to clear the names of these boys.”
The charges say the boys’ lives and the lives of their families were “turned upside down,” according to the complaint.
“I want to sincerely thank the jury and court system for helping our boys and their families find justice. This paved the way for them to be exonerated for something they did not do.” Hughes The family said in a statement to USA TODAY. After the verdict. “…20 percent of our boys’ lives were spent watching this process come to fruition. But we hope to clear the name of our boys and ensure that St. Francis will never have a child again. It’s worth the sacrifice to make it so that you can’t have a baby.” Convict without giving the child a chance to prove his or her innocence. ”
After the photo went viral, the boys were “forced to leave town for the time being,” according to the complaint. The situation also affected their ability to graduate high school, participate in track and field, and gain admission to college, according to the complaint.
A statement from the Hughes family said, “We hope this will allow the Board of Regents to hold those responsible for these actions and make the necessary changes to protect future students.” “And to restore the sanctity of St. Francis as Holy Cross High School.”
SFHS “Currently considering legal options including appeal”
SFHS emailed a statement about the jury’s verdict to USA TODAY on Monday.
“We are grateful for the jury’s verdict rejecting the plaintiffs’ two main claims of defamation and breach of contract, and appreciate their thoughtful analysis,” it said in a statement. “The jury rightly found that we did not violate the handbook, we did not violate the students’ right to free speech, and we did not defame them.”
SFHS said it “respectfully disagrees with the jury’s conclusion that there are few allegations of fairness” regarding the disciplinary review process and is “considering its legal options, including an appeal.”
“There is no precedent for this allegation to apply to a high school,” SFHS said in a statement. “We are grateful for the strong support of our community throughout this lawsuit. We can now put this issue behind us and focus solely on our high school.” I look forward to doing so.” To educate our vibrant student body and live the Catholic values of the Holy Cross Tradition, which are rooted in hope, respect, integrity, and family. ”
