A former Half Hollow Hills High School West student has agreed to a $125,000 settlement with the district after pro-Palestinian artwork she had painted on her school parking spot in 2024 was removed, according to her attorneys and district officials. The student, a Muslim American of Pakistani descent who was a senior at the time, had painted a watermelon slice with a kaffiyeh pattern, her name in Roman and Arabic letters and a message that said "PEACE BE UPON YOU," according to a complaint filed by her mother in March 2025. The watermelon, which has the red, white and green colors of the Palestinian flag, has been seen as a symbol of solidarity with Palestine. Some criticized the artwork, coming amid the Israel-Hamas war, as offensive to Jewish people, and the district painted over the watermelon portion, Newsday previously reported. Link in bio for more. (Photo: Kathy M Helgeson) . . . #longisland #longislandny #suffolkcounty #halfhollowhills #settlement