Public court records

California Students Win $1M, Tuition After Wrongful Expulsion Over Acne Mask

May 9, 2024, 09:04 AM

Two former students of Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, California, were awarded $1 million and tuition reimbursement after a jury found they were wrongfully expelled for wearing acne masks, which the school misinterpreted as blackface. The incident, which occurred during a sleepover in 2017, involved the students taking photos while wearing a dark green acne-fighting face mask. The school's decision to expel the students was based on a misunderstanding of these photos. The legal battle, which lasted four years, concluded with the jury's decision in favor of the students, who had initially sought $20 million in damages.