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Teens Sue Marist After Being Expelled Over Racist Text Messages

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two teenagers have sued Marist High School after they were expelled for their roles in a racist text message conversation, claiming they were "used as scapegoats."

The two teenage girls are seeking to be reinstated as seniors at Marist, or reimbursed $65,000 each for tuition and school costs. The lawsuit also seeks at least $1 million in damages for invasion of privacy.

The plaintiffs are among five Marist students who were expelled last month after a series of racist text messages went public. The comments were made after an African-American man was shot to death by police in Mount Greenwood.

The fatal shooting of Joshua Beal led to a series of Black Lives Matter protests in the neighborhood around the school, as well as Blue Lives Matter counter-protests. Tensions flared at the demonstrations as the two sides clashed in Mount Greenwood.

Marist canceled a day of school last month after Black Lives Matters planned a protest on Nov. 11, after school officials expressed concerns the demonstration could result in more racially-charged clashes. The protest also was canceled.

According to the lawsuit, a student in a private chat group involving 32 girls wrote that Black Lives Matter was going to bring street gang members to the neighborhood to kill white students at Marist in retaliation for the fatal shooting of Beal. Racist remarks were made as part of the conversation, and five of the 32 girls in the group were suspended and/or expelled.

The two plaintiffs, who are white, said their reputations have been severely damaged and they have been scorned by the public. The lawsuit alleges the girls have been "maligned, labeled as racist, and used as scapegoats by Marist."

The girls' fathers argue their daughters' comments were made in a private religious chat group. They said those comments were altered and publicized on official Marist social media accounts, and the school did nothing but allow it to happen.

Their attorney said any comments that were made were meant to be private and were publicized without the girls' permission. He also said an African-American football player advocated the killing of white people, but was only counseled by school officials rather than being expelled like the girls.

Marist principal Larry Tucker and school dean of discipline Beth O'Neill were named as defendants in the lawsuit, along with the school itself.

Marist declined to comment on the lawsuit.

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