Marist Sued Over Expulsion of Girls Involved in Racist Text Message

CHICAGO, IL - The fathers of two of the Marist High School students who were expelled over a racially charged text message have sued the school, claiming their daughters were “used as scapegoats” to respond to pressure and criticism.

The parents want the girls - both seniors - either reinstated or reimbursed $65,000 each for tuition and school costs in addition to $1 million for invasion of privacy, according to an NBC Chicago report. The school, Principal Larry Tucker and disciplinary dean Beth O’Neill are listed as defendants.

The lawsuit states the plaintiffs were two of 32 girls who took part in a group text conversation that began when they met as part of a religious retreat in September.

At the retreat, known as "Kairos" to those affiliated with Marist, students are assured anything said “would be strictly confidential,” the lawsuit, filed anonymously in Cook County Circuit Court, states.

The text message in question included a racial slur, but the lawsuit states another participant altered the context before it was shared on social media.

Related: Petition Seeks to Reinstate 5 Marist Students Who Were Expelled Over Racist Text Message

The release of the text on Twitter caused a Chicago Black Lives Matter youth group to plan a protest at the school. The protest, planned for Nov. 11, was canceled by organizers they day before, but the school closed anyway and police were on hand in the parking lot at 115th Street and Keeler Avenue outside the school's main entrance as a precaution.

The plaintiffs were among a group of five students involved in the text message who were either suspended or expelled, the suit states. They were removed from school “without any formal disciplinary process,” which includes a Nov. 10 letter from school administrators indicating the students “will not be in attendance at Marist.”

More via NBC Chicago

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