A school district in New York has agreed to pay a former student $125,000 after painting over the pro-Palestine mural she created in her high school parking space.
The mural was removed in 2024, prompting the complainant, under the pseudonym Jane Khan, to file a case against administrators.
Senior-year students are generally permitted to paint their parking bays as part of an annual tradition in the state, but Khan’s choice of imagery prompted controversy among the local community.
A photo obtained by the New York Post showed the mural in situ at Half Hollow Hills High School West in Dix Hills.
Painted onto the tarmac, it displayed a watermelon slice (which has become a symbol of support for Palestine due to its similarity with the colours of the Palestinian flag) on a white background above the words “Peace be upon you”.
The fruit was also painted over in black lines to resemble the design of a keffiyeh scarf, which is also commonly used by pro-Palestine activists in the US.
Shortly after the beginning of the school year, an online campaign was launched demanding that the school superintendent remove the mural, according to Khan.
She claimed that her mural caused “no substantial disruption of any school activity or threatened harm to the rights of others” but was, nonetheless, partially painted over at the behest of the school.
Her lawyers filed a federal lawsuit in March last year in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, alleging that painting over the mural infringed her First Amendment rights to free expression and resulted in “emotional trauma”.
Christina John, a lawyer from the New York branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair) who was involved in the case, said: “Students do not surrender their constitutional rights when they enter school grounds. This settlement sends a clear message that viewpoint discrimination and the censorship of Palestinian expression cannot be justified under the guise of neutrality.
"No student should be interrogated, silenced, or punished for peacefully expressing their identity or solidarity with oppressed people.”
John O’Farrell, the district’s new superintendent, said: “The district recently resolved a legal matter related to student artwork painted in a parking space at High School West in 2024.
"As with other legal matters involving the district, our insurance carrier, the New York Schools Insurance Reciprocal (NYSIR), managed the legal defense and settlement process.
“Based on the guidance of NYSIR, the matter was resolved through settlement. Any associated settlement payments were authorised and paid by NYSIR, not the district.
“Following the incident and the disruption it caused, the district discontinued the practice of allowing the painting of parking spaces at High School West in order to maintain focus on school operations, the educational environment for students, and our core mission of providing excellent academic opportunities.”
To get more news, click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter.