Students Expelled for Calling 'Acne Pack' Racism to Receive 1.3 Billion Won Compensation

Expelled for Racism
Court: "Proper Procedures Were Not Followed"

Students who were expelled from high school for wearing blackface makeup won a lawsuit against the school. They will receive $1 million (approximately 1.3725 billion KRW) in damages.

According to foreign media including the New York Post on the 12th (Korean time), a jury in Santa Clara County, California, recently ruled in favor of the students who claimed that the prestigious private Saint Francis High School in Mountain View did not follow due process before expelling three students in 2020 on grounds of racial discrimination.

Students who were expelled on charges of 'blackface' (black makeup) won the lawsuit by claiming they were wearing acne treatment mask packs.
[Photo by Daily Mail]

Previously, photos of students appearing to wear 'blackface' makeup were circulated online. Blackface is a makeup style where the face is painted black to imitate Black people and carries racist connotations.

The photos became an issue in 2020, three years after they were taken, during a time when the United States was in the midst of Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, due to excessive police force.

Following the racial discrimination controversy, the students were expelled from the prestigious Catholic private Saint Francis High School. At the time, the students expressed their frustration, explaining that "the makeup was initially a light green and gradually became a darker green," but their explanation was not accepted.

They eventually filed a lawsuit against the high school in August 2020. During the trial held at the California Superior Court, the students proved that the product used was actually a pack for acne treatment.

The jury found that the students were not given a proper opportunity to explain themselves at the time of expulsion, and the school did not sufficiently consider the evidence in its investigation. The school stated in a press release, "We respectfully disagree with the jury's conclusion regarding the fairness of the disciplinary process," and said it is seeking "legal measures including an appeal."

Initially, the students and their parents demanded $20 million in damages and also claimed violations of freedom of expression and defamation, but the jury dismissed these claims.

In the end, the students will receive a total of $1 million in compensation and will be refunded $70,000 (approximately 95 million KRW) in tuition fees. However, it is reported that only two of the three students filed the lawsuit.

The school is known to intend to appeal.