A San Diego middle school agreed to expunge the suspension of a student who was accused of attending a football game in blackface in 2023.
The student and his parents sued Muirlands Middle School after the Oct. 23, 2023, incident, saying the teen was not in blackface but wearing eye black, a fashion trend among football and baseball athletes. The student, who is referred to only as J.A. in the lawsuit, was initially suspended over what was termed a “hate incident.”
“The false allegations of blackface on J.A.’s permanent school records could have haunted him for decades, affecting both his education and future career opportunities,” said J.A.’s attorney, Karin Sweigart. “It’s a relief that the school district has finally corrected this injustice.”
The incident occurred during a high school football game between La Jolla High School and Morse High School. J.A.’s father said at the time that no one at the game accused his son of being in blackface and that a Black security guard encouraged the boy to wear the face paint.
In a suspension notice given to the family, the principal of Muirlands Middle School said that the student “painted his face black at a football game,” which constituted an “offensive comment.”
But after the student’s family filed the suit, the school agreed in a February settlement to permanently expunge the suspension from J.A.’s record.
“He had a fun, great night without any trouble,” the student’s father said at the time of the incident.
