Jury’s groundbreaking decision: all California high schools must give students fair procedure; St. Francis High School is not above the law
“This case is significant not only for our clients but for its groundbreaking effect on all private high schools in California”
San Francisco – In a case tried to verdict yesterday, two former students from Saint Francis High School made groundbreaking new law protecting the rights of all California students to fair procedure in discipline investigations. The students were awarded $1 million and tuition reimbursement after being wrongfully expelled for wearing acne facemasks, which were mistakenly interpreted as “blackface”.
Background of the case
The students, who were minors at the time, became the center of a controversy due to a photograph of them wearing green acne facemasks. The photo, which was taken three years earlier, was misinterpreted by the school as “blackface” in June 2020, amidst heightened racial tensions and unrelated racist incidents within the school community. St. Francis expelled the boys within 24 hours, without considering their evidence or offering any hearing. The school’s actions led to significant personal, educational, and emotional consequences for the students.
Legal Implications:
This case establishes new law by extending protections set by the California Supreme Court in Boermeester v. Carry, which mandates fair procedure rights for students at private universities.
The case of A.H. et al. v. Saint Francis High School extends these protections to private high schools, including religious institutions, ensuring students receive adequate notice of charges and a fair opportunity to respond before any disciplinary action is taken.
Quotes from the Dhillon Law Group Attorneys:
“This case is significant not only for our clients but for its groundbreaking effect on all private high schools in California, which are now legally required to provide fair procedure to students before punishing or expelling them,” said Krista Baughman, partner at the Dhillon Law Group. “The jury rightly confirmed that St. Francis High School’s procedures were unfair to our clients and that the school is not above the law.”
“The jury’s verdict finally cleared our clients’ names after four long years of repeated personal attacks from St. Francis High School. Schools are supposed to protect and nurture children, not sacrifice them when it is convenient for public relations purposes,” said Dhillon Law Group counsel, Karin Sweigart.
Statement from the Hughes Family:
“We want to sincerely thank the jury and the court system for helping our boys and our families find justice, which now paves the way for their names to be cleared for things they never did. Because that’s why we filed this lawsuit, and endured four years while it worked its way through the court system. Twenty percent of our boys’ lives have been spent seeing this process come to fruition. But the sacrifice is worth it to clear our boys’ names, and to try and make sure that St. Francis can never again assume a child is guilty without giving a child the opportunity to show their innocence. To never again sacrifice any child to protect the school’s reputation like they did our boys.
We would never wish the pain, humiliation, and suffering St. Francis has inflicted on our families on anyone, but we are thankful that the jury has spoken, and vindicated our boys, and forced St. Francis to finally take responsibility for their repeated personal attacks on the boys.
Despite being afforded time to reflect and contemplate after the heat of the moment had subsided, President Jason Curtis and Principal Katie Teekell don’t regret their actions. They would do the same thing today. We hope this will lead the Board of Directors to hold those responsible for these actions and make needed changes to protect students moving forward. And to restore the sanctity of St. Francis as a Holy Cross high school.”
About the Dhillon Law Group:
Dhillon Law Group is a premier litigation firm known for its strategic and vigorous approach to complex legal challenges. Specializing in civil rights, commercial disputes, employment law, and election law, the firm is passionately committed to defending individual freedoms. Under the leadership of Harmeet Dhillon, a nationally recognized attorney, the firm leverages a diverse array of legal expertise to handle high-profile and high-stakes cases across various jurisdictions. With a steadfast focus on achieving successful outcomes and upholding the rule of law, Dhillon Law Group is distinguished by its dedication to justice and excellence in legal advocacy.
