Wrestling Ref Suspended 2 Years For Buena Dreadlock Incident

BUENA, NJ — A referee was suspended for two wrestling seasons after forcing a Buena Regional High School student to cut his dreadlocks or forfeit the match. The New Jersey Office of Attorney General announced Wednesday that they reached an agreement on the punishment with the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Referee Alan Maloney gave Andrew Johnson an ultimatum last December: cut his hair or forfeit his match against Oakcrest. Johnson, who identifies as mixed face, chose to have his locks cut. His team rallied to a 41-24 victory. But the referee's conduct made national news.

Along with the suspension, the OAG announced officials and staff involved in New Jersey high school sports will undergo implicit-bias training. The Division of Civil Rights issued a new “Guidance on Race Discrimination Based on Hairstyle." The guidance explains why treating people differently based on hairstyle may violate the state's anti-discrimination laws.

The guidance also states that racial discrimination includes discrimination based on a trait “inextricably intertwined with or closely associated with race,” including hairstyle.

“Student athletes should be able to compete with each other on a level playing field,” said NJ Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal. “Racial discrimination in the enforcement of the rules of any sport is inconsistent with the spirit of fair play."

The NJ Division of Civil Rights launched an investigation into the incident after it occurred. Maloney's enforcement violated a rule from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), the OAG said.

The rule governs the length of an athlete's hair and when an athlete must wear a hair cover. However, various NJ wrestling officials have required a hair covering for several traditionally black hairstyles regardless of length, the OAG said.

Johnson's locs were cut after Maloney determined he couldn't wrestle without a hair cover. The wrestler couldn't find a hair cover that met the rules' specifications.

As part of the agreement between the DCR and NJSIAA, the NJSIAA will provide in-person training to all of its local rules interpreters and wrestling officials. The training will emphasize that the NFHS Rule 4.2.1 is based off hair length, not style.

The NJSIAA will complete the training by the start of this year's wrestling season. The training will also explain the long history of hair-style discrimination, the OAG said.

Additionally, the DCR clarified that racial discrimination includes discrimination based on a trait “inextricably intertwined with or closely associated with race,” including hairstyle. The guidance prohibits employers, housing providers and places of public accommodation (including schools) in New Jersey from enforcing grooming or appearance policies closely associated with a race. This includes but is not limited to twists, braids, cornrows, Afros, locs, Bantu knots, and fades.

“Discrimination against Black people because of their hair, which is often based on stereotypes that traditionally Black hairstyles are ’unprofessional‘ or ’unkempt,’ is a persistent form of anti-Black racism,” said DCR Director Rachel Wainer Apter.

Click here to get Patch email notifications on this or other local news articles or get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our app. Download here. Follow Galloway Patch. Have a news tip? Email josh.bakan@patch.com.