Society
Students Who Were Kicked Out Of School Over Fake Racism Allegations Win $1 Million Settlement
Two former students of a California private high school have been granted a $1 million settlement after they were forced to withdraw from the school over fake allegations of racism.
A Santa Clara jury awarded the former students $500,000 each, as well as $700,000 in tuition reimbursement, after the jury sided with them on two of the five claims laid out in the lawsuit.
In 2020, the two students, whose identities were listed in court documents HH and AH, sued the Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, California for $20 million after they were forced to withdraw from the school due to some photos from 2017. The boys were accused of using “blackface” and a host of other racial animus allegations.
The photos in question shows the then-students, all three of whom were 14-years-old, wearing face masks used for acne treatment. The masks start out black when applied but eventually turn green.
“Tragically, defendants achieved their goal of portraying (the) plaintiffs as poster children of racism at (Saint Francis High School), resulting in the devastating destruction of the boys’ young lives,” attorneys for the Dhillon Law Group wrote in the lawsuit.
Frank Hughes, the father of one of the students, told the San Francisco Chronicle that they won on claims of lack of due process and breach of oral contract. They were unsuccessful on additional claims of breach of conduct, as well as defamation.
“Our primary goal was to clear (our clients’) names,” said Krista Baughman, an attorney for the former students. “It was quite clear the jury believed these were innocent face masks. They are young kids, their internet trail is going to haunt them for the next 60 years. Now they don’t have to worry about that.”
During the Black Lives Matter riots in 2020, the photo re-emerged online and led to pressure from St. Francis students. The boys were ultimately given an ultimatum to either withdraw from the school or face expulsion.
