High school wrestler told to cut dreadlocks or lose bout

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Updated 6:04 pm CST, Friday, December 21, 2018

BUENA, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey high school wrestler had his dreadlocks cut off minutes before his match after a referee told him to lose the hairstyle or forfeit his bout.


An SNJ Today reporter tweeted video of Buena Regional High School wrestler Andrew Johnson getting his hair cut court-side. He went on to win Wednesday's match, but appeared visibly distraught.

Johnson, who is black, had a cover over his hair, but the referee Alan Maloney, who is white, said that wouldn't do.

The state's Interscholastic Athletic Association said in a statement they are recommending Maloney not be assigned to any event until the matter has been reviewed more thoroughly.

The Division on Civil Rights has also opened an investigation into what happened, said Leland Moore, a spokesman for Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal.


Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/us/article/High-school-wrestler-told-to-cut-dreadlocks-or-13484916.php

---

Referee with Racist Past Forces Wrestler to Cut Dreadlocks or Forfeit
John Duffley, December 21, 2018 1:48 pm

Heading into Buena Regional High School wrestler Andrew Johnson’s 120-pound match against Oakcrest High, he was given an ultimatum: cut your hair or lose the match. Not only did Johnson, who is black, have to cut his dreadlocks in order to compete, but the white referee who forced him to do so has a history of racist behavior.

Despite having a hair cover for his dreadlocks in accordance with New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association standards, wrestling referee Alan Maloney still forced Johnson to cut his hair right on the mat in front of a packed gym, and the fallout from this moment spread like wildfire after Wednesday night.

The video of Johnson’s impromptu haircut was captured by SNJ Today’s Mike Frankel. Even the reporter’s take by calling Johnson the “epitome of a team player” sparked massive backlash, as many believe Johnson was the target of racism on the part of Alan Maloney.

More:
https://fanbuzz.com/high-school/northeast/alan-maloney-dreadlocks/

[pecosbob]

1. That's straight-up messed up

[old guy]

2. Totally unacceptable and disgusting.

The ref should be fired and banned from ever officiating again.

[Just a Weirdo]

21. I also smell a civil lawsuit

That moron should be living on Skid Row after Johnson is done with him legally.

[rurallib]

3. Where was his effing coach to stand up for him?

That is ridiculous!

[Hortensis]

43. Agree the coach should have forfeited the match to

fight it out behind the scenes and not given the student the option of sacrificing to win, but realizations like this often tend to firm up in retrospect.

On the plus side, of course, if he had the NJ civil rights division wouldn't be involved, leagues and referees in every sport in the nation wouldn't be taking note right now (those that need to), and the student wouldn't be learning to engage in a bigger fight than wrestling can offer. Coaches are always talking about sports building character and so on, just not usually also their own and their community's.

[KentuckyWoman]

4. Where the hell were the coaches?

Why didn't coaches from both sides stand up to the ref and tell him NO. That is equally inexcusable.

Thanks for posting this.

[Dorian Gray]

17. You're right

I was just upset that his own coach didn't step up. But both sides should have.

[yardwork]

19. This really bothers me. This is a disgrace.

[DRoseDARs]

5. I was willing to give the benefit of the doubt over the hair being an injury risk...

Yeah, no, those are some short fucking dreadlocks. Existing regulations, that Johnson was following to the letter, were more than sufficient. Straight-up racist action.

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-6157741941673651159/state-asks-that-ref-who-forced-wrestler-to-cut-dreadlocks-be-sidelined/

This is the motherfucker right here:

[Judi Lynn]

15. Thanks for the photo. It seems to help a lot to be able to attach a face to hateful behavior. n/t

[tavernier]

18. I can see that the only thing he wrestles

is a six pack of beer every night.

[LakeArenal]

29. Do women wrestlers have to cut their hair?

Uh... probably not.

[DRoseDARs]

34. NJ only just allowed girls this year & yes actually, girls cut their hair short to nat. regulation.

As another poster, who you jumped on, stated there is a national high school athletics regulation for how long a wrestler's hair can be. Non-compliance = non-compete. And it's not a ridiculous rule. Wrestling is by definition a grappling sport. Hair grabbing is off-limits, of course, but long hair has a higher risk of getting caught incidentally during a match or fall into the eyes leading to undo injury. This kid would be in compliance utilizing acceptable common locking head-coverings and this racist fuck still said no.

[Drahthaardogs]

40. I wrestled all through elementary to Senior high school.

I've seen a few haircuts administered, but always back by the weigh ins. Never on the floor like that. Also always with clippers. The scissors was a little shocking

[DRoseDARs]

41. Yeah, I really want to believe that that much wasn't deliberate. But it probably was too.

Edit: Racist probably demanded the haircut happen where he could see it so they didn't try to "hide" it under coverings.

[LakeArenal]

35. I jumped? Maybe...

But despite the rules: this has a humiliating event for this young man. That they let that woman hack his hair, was publically degrading and unnecessary. Not only could they taken him aside, they could have let him sit down so it may not have been hacked and ruined completely.
This emasculation took place with coaches who apparently knew this rule and let it get to that point?
Yeah, maybe I jumped once. I am irate for this man.
The other you say I “jumped”, I merely said, “woman wrestlers as well”? That’s some hard hitting language.

[DRoseDARs]

39. It looked for all the world like you were implying sexism where there was none.

And it felt like you were directing the accusation against fellow posters. If you weren't then ok. The other poster clearly stated he's refereed high school and college wrestling. Probably means he knows what he's talking about. From professional and applied experience. Anyway, yes, although he disagrees on this case, the rest of us are pretty convinced this was pure racism directed at the kid.

Edit: Spelling

[LakeArenal]

42. That was an assumption on your part.

[skypilot]

38. How did I know he'd be bald.

*

[wcmagumba]

6. Horrible, horrible bs...

Hope there are big repercussions for the "adults" involved in this disgusting, racist
act. Lawsuits await this school and coaches and refs...

[cstanleytech]

7. Sounds like that referee needs to be fired as the wresting rules

allow that type of hair style as long as its within a legal hair cover.

[Jedi Guy]

13. That's what I don't get. No logical reason to insist that he cut his hair, it was covered. N/T

[courtjester]

8. Christian nazi

Several years ago a white pro football coach was asked about an outstanding, award winning, superior athlete. When asked what he could accomplish if he had that young black athlete on his team his only reply was "the first thing we are going to do is cut that hair". The coach identified himself as a devout Christian. And everyone knows jesus had a crew cut !

[forgotmylogin]

9. It's too bad his teammates didn't also insist on their heads being shaved before competing.

Shut it down and make the spectators watch an hour of hair-cutting, see how many white moms scream about their babies precious hair. I know that's a big snap decision to make though.

[akraven]

10. This is just WRONG.

In 1970 - 1971, our black athletes weren't allowed to have afro's. Coach got fired. Several athletes went national.

[question everything]

11. Saw it on ABC news, still cannot believe it

Glad that the referee is no longer there.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

12. This is heartbreaking.

[iluvtennis]

14. Pure racism. I hope this yung man's family files a civil rights violation lawsuit.

[Dorian Gray]

16. Poor kid

I REALLY wish his coach and teammates stood up for him. Instead, they required a kid to step up and sacrifice for them.

[bluestarone]

20. This ref should have been REPLACED

Immediately BEFORE the hair was cut!! THIS is an assault!

[Just a Weirdo]

22. Yup. 911 would be dialed immediately

And have the ref arrested for assault.

[EttuBrute]

23. The Rules are the Rules

This is a non story. Wrestling has rules like all sports. Yes, there are rules for hair and all wrestlers and coaches know them.

Rule (4-2-1) Hair shall not extend below the earlobe on the sides and must be above the top of a normal shirt in the back. The hair, in its natural state, shall not extend below the eyebrows in the front.

Pretty damn clear to me.

This is a classic example of the coach could not get the kid to cut his hair. As someone who has refereed High School and Collegiate wrestling I have encountered this before. Coach pulls you aside and tells you the situation. They get up on the scale for weigh in and you tell them need a haircut to wrestle tonight.

We call this buck passing in our weekly referees meetings.

[mac2766]

25. Agreed - but only on principal

The issue really isn't about the rules. The question that must be asked is why did the ref, who certainly would have witnessed the long hair at weigh-in, wait to force this boy to have his hair cut in front of a crowd?

Rules need to be enforced, but it's how they are enforced that matters.

[EttuBrute]

33. I disagree

I refereed wrestling in Northern Calif Officials Association for over 30 years. This happens occasionally. Typically a new coach who does not want to run off young wrestlers lets the ref take the heat for the discipline.

Rule (4-2-1) Hair shall not extend below the earlobe on the sides and must be above the top of a normal shirt in the back. The hair, in its natural state, shall not extend below the eyebrows in the front.

All coaches and wrestlers know the rules. I have had this happen to me before. The coach pulls me aside and asks if I will conduct the weigh in and hygiene check.

Could it have been handled better. Yes. In the end the dreads had to go if he wants to compete.

Yeah, I had short hair for 8 years in college and high school.

[obamanut2012]

37. Again, YOU are the one who is ignorant of the rules

His dreads are allowed with a hair cover, which he had, and which passed inspection at weigh-in.

Epic Fail.

Maybe go actually learn the rules you are falsely and smugly lecturing on, and the racist incident you are handwaving away.

[meadowlander]

26. It says in the article that he was wearing a hair covering though

so how do you know he wasn't complying with the rules?

It sounds like the ref didn't think that the covering was good enough, not that the kid and the coach weren't trying to comply.

[MyOwnPeace]

28. To quote from "Oliver"

"The law is an ass!"

Stupid rule - kid had it covered - move on...............

[LakeArenal]

30. Women Wrestlers as well?

[obamanut2012]

36. Except you are 100% wrong

But, you know that, I know that, we all know that.

[mac2766]

46. This question then.

Would you, EttuBrute, have waited until this boys weight class had been called, during the match (he looks to be around 138 lb, meaning 3 or 4 matches into the meet), to address this issue and would you have put him through the humiliation in front of the people in the stands, or would you have addressed the issue in the locker room like a professional?

The question shouldn't be whether the length of the boys hair was longer than a rule specifies it should be. We know that it was. What the question is, is why did the ref wait to address the issue until the boy was in front of all of those people?

In my opinion, the ref had some sort of bone to pick. Maybe it was racist, maybe he didn't like the coach or school, or maybe he was just having a bad day, or maybe the boys coach did ask him to do what he did, but the way that he did it was completely unprofessional and absolutely un-called for. He needs to be fired from his job. Anyone in this forum that disagrees with that should really take a good look at themselves.

IF! my coach asked the ref to pull me aside during a meet to do that to me, I would have quit the team that instant and moved to a different school district and wrestled for a competing school from that point forward. Oh... and I would have gotten my hair cut in spite of my ex-coach. This whole thing makes me sick - the argument, not the cutting of the boys hair (although that makes me sick too).

[mac2766]

24. Insanity

I wrestled in high school many years ago. There were rules that we had to abide by, including hair length, no facial hair, trimmed finger nails, etc...

Having said that. The ref would have certainly been in the locker room during weigh-in. It's at that time that the competitors should be made to trim fingernails, shave, or trim hair. In no way should the scene of forcing a boy to have his hair cut in front of a crowd should have happened.

I watched a segment about this on GMA this morning. It looks like at least the school has banned this particular ref from officiating. Let's hope that he's run out on a rail.

I feel for the boy. The world is full of idiots today. This is just one small example.

[roody]

27. This will not end well for the referee.

[dlk]

31. Referee, Alan Maloney Exemplifies Republican Childishness and Pettiness

What a childish racist! Just like the childish racist currently residing in the White House. There's no excuse for calling out and embarrassing this student-athlete. Besides, weren't all of the long hair debates settled way back around the time of the Vietnam War? I hope Andrew Johnson's family files a civil lawsuit. Paying a large monetary penalty seems to be the most effective way to effect meaningful change.

[Clash City Rocker]

32. The referee in question had previously been in trouble for calling a colleague the n-word

[link:https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/sports/high-school/wrestling/2016/10/04/grappling-n-word/91208864/|

Just in think anyone believes we’re being unfair to the guy.

[EffieBlack]

44. This breaks my heart

Where was his coach? Where were his teammates? I can only imagine how lonely and isolated this young man must have felt in those moments.

This is one of those times when allies need to step up, speak up and stand with the person being oppressed. Their silence and inaction paon me almost as much as watching these people humiliate this brave young man.

[Norbert]

45. This was hard to watch. That ref needs to go.

Andrew was understandably upset. I give him all the credit in the world for choosing not to hurt his team.