May 10th 2024.
A couple of students from a high school in the Bay Area were recently in the spotlight after receiving a hefty sum of $1 million, along with reimbursement for their tuition fees. This all stemmed from an incident where they were accused of wearing blackface, which led to their expulsion from the school.
The two students, who were only identified as A.H. and H.H., were granted $500,000 each from the school, in addition to $70,000 for their tuition expenses. It's worth noting that initially, the students and their parents had claimed for a whopping $20 million in damages. However, a jury from Santa Clara County ultimately ruled in favor of the former Saint Francis High School students, who argued that the school had breached an oral contract and failed to provide due process before expelling them in 2020. The school is located in Mountain View, and the decision was made after a series of photos from a few years back resurfaced during the Black Lives Matter protests, which had gone viral.
According to the lawsuit, the photo in question was taken in August 2017, during a sleepover. A.H. was seen with a green face mask for acne, and the next day, H.H. and another boy mimicked the same face mask in a picture. However, as the world was grappling with the tragic death of George Floyd and the fight against racial injustice, these photos caused quite a stir.
The school administrators gave the boys two options - either to withdraw from school or face expulsion. However, the boys claim that they were never given a chance to explain themselves, and the school did not consider any evidence before making their decision. While the jury did not side with the students on their claims of breach of contract, defamation, and violation of free speech, their attorney Krista Baughman expressed her satisfaction with the outcome. She stated that their primary goal was to clear their clients' names and that the jury believed that the boys were innocent and had only worn harmless face masks. She also added that this experience has been tough for the young boys, and they would have had to live with the consequences for the rest of their lives if it wasn't for this verdict.
The jury did, however, hold the school accountable for two of the five claims made in the lawsuit, one of them being the failure to conduct a proper investigation. In response to the verdict, representatives from the high school released a statement expressing their disagreement with the jury's decision on the fairness of their disciplinary review process. They also mentioned that they are exploring legal options, including the possibility of appealing the initial verdict. The school officials concluded by stating that they are grateful for the support of their community during this difficult time and are looking forward to moving on and focusing on educating their students and living up to their Catholic values.
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