Teen’s Blackface Photo Earns Them $1 Million After They Were Expelled From School

In California, three teenagers faced backlash after a 2017 photo resurfaced in 2020, showing them with dark facial masks that were mistaken for blackface during the height of Black Lives Matter protests. The boys, aged 14 at the time, wore acne masks—one had acne, and his friends joined him in solidarity. The masks were light green but dried to a darker shade.

Two boys were expelled from their Catholic school without due process. The families sued, and the jury awarded each boy $500,000, plus $70,000 tuition reimbursement, setting a precedent for fair disciplinary procedures in California private schools. The school disagrees with the decision but is considering options.