A California middle school has been forced to settle a lawsuit with an 8th-grade student after he was punished over false allegations that he was wearing “blackface” during a football game.
J.A. Ameduri was suspended by the school after he was accused of wearing “blackface” to a football game in October 2023.
The boy’s father, Daniel Ameduri, sued Muirlands Middle School in La Jolla, California, on behalf of his son.
The lawsuit asserted that the 8th-grader was simply wearing eye black, a common practice in many sports.
The incident resulted in J.A. Ameduri being punished with a two-day suspension.
He was also banned from attending district sporting events.
However, Ameduri has now been expunged as part of the settlement.
In a statement, Karin Sweigart, J.A.’s lawyer and Dhillon Law Group counsel, said:
“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.”
The court approved the settlement on February 24.
The settlement permanently expunged J.A.’s two-day suspension.
As part of the agreement, no district official or employee will refer to the suspension in any communications with others.
“It’s a relief that the school district has finally corrected this injustice,” Sweigart added.
“No student should have to fight to clear their name over baseless accusations.”
Sweigart noted that cases like this are “why organizations like the Center for American Liberty exist—to ensure fairness and protect fundamental rights.”
J.A., now a freshman in high school, was in 8th grade when the incident occurred.
During an appearance on “Fox & Friends” in January 2024 with his father, the boy recalled being stunned by the school’s response.
He explained that nothing was out of the ordinary about what happened.
“I used to go to a lot of football games when I lived in Texas, and I used to play football, and sometimes we put that on if one of the kids brought it,” he said.
J.A.’s father said he was “shocked” days later when his son was called into the principal’s office and subsequently suspended.
The boy explained that he was just putting the paint on his face to emulate his athletic heroes.
Daniel Ameduri said he even showed the school principal a photo of J.A. to show that it was innocent.
“I showed the principal the picture from that night.
“I thought that was gonna end this whole thing.”
However, the principal looked at the photo and said, “No, that’s blackface.”
Muirlands Middle School has yet to comment on the settlement.
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