*The parents of the 16-year-old biracial varsity wrestler who was forced to cut his dreads before a match have spoken out for the first time since the incident.
The attorney for Charles and Rosa Johnson, Dominic A. Speziali, said in a statement that the conduct of the referee who forced their son, Andrew, to cut his hair “appears more egregious as additional information comes to light,” kdvr.com reports.
They allege the referee told Andrew his hair and headgear were not in compliance with league regulations, Speziali said in the statement.
When Andrew suggested he could push his hair back, Speziali said the referee refused because the teen’s hair “wasn’t in its natural state.”
So the high schooler was given an ultimatum: Cut the locks or forfeit the match. He chose to have his hair cut.
A New Jersey town’s school board is expected to meet tonight after student athlete Andrew Johnson was forced to cut his dreadlocks before participating in a high school wrestling match. pic.twitter.com/CaYaELLWLi
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) December 26, 2018
Video of a trainer cutting Andrew’s hair with scissors ahead of the match quickly went viral on Friday.
“The referee is behind them directing her to keep cutting until he was satisfied with the length,” Speziali says in the statement.
Andrew’s parents said that wrestling taught him “to be resilient in the face of adversity.”
“As we move forward, we are comforted by both the strength of Andrew’s character and the support he’s received from the community,” they said.
“The blame here rests primarily with the referee,” Speziali says in the statement. “And those that permitted him to continue in that role despite clear evidence of what should be a disqualifying race-related transgression.”
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association is reportedly investigating the incident. As is the office of the New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, as part of a 2013 agreement with the NJSIAA “to address potential bias in high school sports.” the report states.
The referee won’t be allowed to moderate matches until the incident “has been thoroughly reviewed,” executive director Larry White said in a statement.
“Finally, as an African-American and parent — as well as a former educator, coach, official and athlete — I clearly understand the issues at play, and probably better than most,” White added.
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