Johnson, who had short locs, was told that he had to cut his hair, right there and then, or forfeit his match. This was despite the fact that he had his hair covering that wrestles typically wear if they have long hair. Video of the incident went viral, prompting shock and outrage. Following the incident, various accusations of racism were lobbed against Maloney. A fellow referee claims that Maloney called him the n-word in 2016. Maloney denied the accusation, but witnesses who saw the incident confirmed the story. Shortly after the fallout, Maloney was relieved from his duties and barred from continuing work in the school district. Now, Maloney has sent his claim, which preserves Maloney’s right to a possible lawsuit, CBS notes.Disgusting and heartbreaking. A referee known for his racism, Alan Maloney (google him), made high school wrestler Andrew Johnson cut off his dreads or lose the match. They were covered and gave him no advantage. So he cut them off. He won the match. Never should’ve been allowed. pic.twitter.com/ChMXPBzHPk
— Shaun King (@shaunking) December 21, 2018
White Referee Who Forced Black High School Wrestler To Cut His Locs Alleges Defamation
Alan Maloney is now claiming he is the injured party, claiming defamation of character and emotional distress and claiming $100,000 in damages.