© JIM YOUNG/Chicago Tribune/TNS Brian Barnes, additional from right, and his daughter, Mia Fields, accessory at Barrington High Academy arch Steve McWilliams and Heath McFaul during a beef alfresco the academy in Barrington, Ill., on July 14, 2017. CHICAGO - Six Barrington High Academy acceptance who appeared in a photo labeled "KKK" that afire a amusing media firestorm over the summer are suing the academy commune for defamation.
A audition on the case is appointed for federal cloister Monday.
The arguable picture, broadly broadcast on the internet, depicted eight animated white boyish girls dressed in white shirts, adopting their easily over their active in an cryptic gesture. The angel was captioned with the belletrist "KKK" - the brand of the babe hosting the affair - and acquaint to amusing media, according to the lawsuit.
"After the photo was uploaded, addition apprentice misconstrued the brand for a advertence to the Ku Klux Klan, and tweeted out the photo with a alarm to absorb (Barrington High School) and to abet punishment," the cloister abstracts say.
The photo was retweeted and aggregate bags of times, with some in cyberspace interpreting the girls' gestures as artful Ku Klux Klan hoods. Officials at Barrington Community Academy Commune 220 were inundated with demands to booty activity adjoin the girls.
The lawsuit, filed in August on account of six of the girls by their parents, seeks bearding damages. An advocate apery the girls and their parents did not anon acknowledgment buzz calls.
Court abstracts said the photo was attempt off-campus at the home of one of the girls during a affair that had a "white out" theme, acceptation that those accessory were declared to dress in white-colored clothing. The academy has additionally captivated analogously themed events, according to media reports.
"The 'white out' affair accompanying alone to attire, and the affair itself was abounding by acceptance of assorted contest and ethnicities, including African-Americans," the accusation says.
In a accounting account issued back the photo began circulating in July, Administrator Brian Harris said the commune "does not disregard the accomplishments of the acceptance in the photo and the amount is beneath investigation. Once the analysis is complete, we will actuate the adapted consequences, according to our apprentice handbook and lath policy."
The accusation additionally credibility to statements Arch Stephen McWilliams reportedly fabricated to a baby accumulation of youths who protested the photo alfresco the academy on July 14. The clothing claims he "championed the (protesters') cause" with comments such as the angel "burns me to my core."
"These damaging accusations, basic from careless, borderline online commentators, were fabricated exponentially added able by the accessible endorsements of the administrator and principal," the accusation said. "Such statements will assuredly arrest the (girls') approaching educational and career affairs as able-bodied as their approaching earning potential."
The accusation claims the girls' chargeless accent rights were abandoned and they were unconstitutionally banned from accommodating in extracurricular activities awaiting a hearing. The arch had "summoned the butt of the girls to academy for added interrogations," after anecdotic a accurate allegation or any evidence, according to the lawsuit.
The academy district, arch and administrator denied those claims in cloister abstracts filed in September. Attorneys for the academy commune had additionally filed a motion to abolish the case, adage none of the acceptance complex was anytime disciplined.
"Plaintiffs accept not been abeyant or expelled from academy attendance, nor is conduct alike actuality advised by the academy district," the cloister abstracts say, abacus that the acceptance who were complex in extracurricular activities were not barred from participation.
"This case arises out of the Commune 220's actionable conduct of several Barrington High Academy acceptance because added BHS acceptance ... fabricated it their summer activity to abet a basic internet mob to abuse and burden Commune 220 to absorb itself and admeasure out abuse for the anticipation abomination they absurd had occurred," the clothing contends.
Attorney Darcy Kriha, who represents the academy district, beneath to animadversion any added in a buzz account Wednesday because the case "involves apprentice matters."
The accusation does not abode or explain the way the girls were gesturing in the photo.
But the Southern Poverty Law Center, which advance abhorrence groups, told the Chicago Tribune in July that what was depicted did not arise to bout any accepted Ku Klux Klan duke gestures.
"My aboriginal consequence on attractive at the photo would not be that these girls are accomplishing article racist," a agent for the centermost said.
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