Teens Expelled From Elite Catholic School For “Blackface” Awarded $1 Million After Evidence Showed It Was Just Acne Mask
Two teenagers were removed from their elite California Catholic school after being falsely accused of wearing blackface. Now, they have been awarded over $1 million after proving it was just a green acne face mask that they were wearing.
The students who had attended Saint Francis High School in Mountain View were 14 years old when they took a picture during a sleepover in 2017. The photo showed them wearing the treatment, with a friend who was suffering from extensive acne, in an act of solidarity.
The treatment was purchased by one of the boys’ mom and was light green when first put on but later turned dark green when it dried.
3 years later, the photo was found and went viral during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests after the 2020 murder of George Floyd.
This week, a jury in Santa Clara County agreed that the school violated an oral contract and due process was not given to the boys prior to them being expelled in 2020.
The students, named only as H.H. and A. H. in court documents, were awarded $500,000 each, and their $70,000 tuition will be given back to them.
At first, the lawsuit had asked for $20 million. The jury denied some of the boys’ accusations, including defamation and violation of free speech.
School officials say that they “respectfully disagree” with the jury’s verdict and are looking at further legal options, including an appeal.
