Posted on 12/27/2018 10:30:35 AM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts
BUENA, N.J. -- A New Jersey school district says its wrestling team will no longer compete in events officiated by a referee who told a wrestler to lose his dreadlocks or forfeit his bout.
The announcement came during an emergency meeting held Wednesday with the Buena Regional school board and members of the community. The groups that assign referees have already said they wouldn't assign the ref until further notice.
Buena Regional High School wrestler Andrew Johnson had his dreadlocks cut minutes before his match on Dec. 19.
Johnson, who is black, had a cover over his hair, but referee Alan Maloney, who is white, said that wouldn't be sufficient. Maloney didn't respond to requests for comment.
WCAU-TV reports the high school's wrestling coach and athletic trainer discussed the incident with board members behind closed doors Wednesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
“Have you been following this story?”
I have been....My boy wrestled 4 years in high school and was rated the top twenty (for his weight class) in the state 4 years running.
He tells me that the New Jersey state high school wrestling program must be run by imbeciles. There are multiple reasons why excessively long hair is verboten and most relate to the welfare of the wrestlers Everything from neck injury to hindered vision and they all our legitimate concerns.
When girls wrestled, they were required to wear a specialized headgear that completely contained their hair. Boys with long hair were required to wear the same headgear or NOT wrestle, PERIOD.
These rules have been on the books for good reason for years in almost all states and exist for the protection of all involved.
This story left a bunch of information out that was in previous write-ups. Someone went back into the way back machine and dredged about an incident where this ref used a racial slur at an all coaches gathering. He was immediately body slammed by another attendee. This is where all this crap is coming from. There was no issue with the haircut until the story broke about his use of a racial slur some two years ago!!!
Rules are Rules, for everyone. Besides, it will grow back.
During competition all wrestlers shall be clean shaven, with sideburns trimmed no lower than earlobe level and hair trimmed and well groomed. The hair, in its natural state, shall not extend below the top of an ordinary shirt collar in the back; and on the sides, the hair shall not extend below the earlobe level; in the back; and on the sides, the hair shall not extend below earlobe level; in the front, the hair shall not extend below the eyebrows.
The ref was indeed following the rules. Problem is the HS competition organization was ignoring the rules because this was a black kid.
Just like Florida schools take money not to discipline black students.
> Don’t like it? You’ll be disqualified at the discretion of the REFEREE. <
There’s the problem right there. The rules should read that if your hair is over X inches in length, you are disqualified, period.
There is also the lice problem with dreadlocks.
I knew a female police officer who thought she was cute in a pony tail - until half her scalp was pulled out in a fight.
I just watched the video, the kids hair was pretty long pre haircut.
so what...the referee is in charge of the rules, not the parents
so what...the referee is in charge of the rules, not the parents
Yep - how about they tell the ones boycotting this ref that they will be posted as losing by default....
Because it wouldn't have happened if the wrestler was white.
Second, I've wrestled in a number of tournaments in my High School days...many decades ago...and those are the rules. They always have been. We were required to be clean shaven, hair cut to a reasonable length at the ears and nails freshly clipped. Don't like it? You'll be disqualified at the discretion of the REFEREE.
Things have changed. Longer hair is acceptable if the wrestler covers it with a net under their head gear. This is not the first match this particular wrestler has competed in. In every other match he was allowed to compete because he wore the hair net. What changed between his last match and this one? Other than the ref?
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