• Celebrity
    • Of The Essence
    • Celebrity News
    • If Not For My Girls
    • The State Of R&B
    • Time Of Essence
  • Fashion
    • 2023 Best In Black Fashion Awards
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • Red Carpet
    • Fashion News
    • Accessories
  • Beauty
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • 2023 Best In Black Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Hair
  • Lifestyle
    • Love
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Bridal Bliss
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Money & Career
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
  • Studios
  • Girls United

WHERE BLACK CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS MEET

Sign up for ESSENCE Newsletters the keep the Black women at the forefront of conversation.

Your email is required.
Your email is in invalid format.
Confirm email is required.
Email did not match.
Select the newsletters you'd like to receive:
Please select at least one option.
By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • Of The Essence
    • Celebrity News
    • If Not For My Girls
    • The State Of R&B
    • Time Of Essence
  • Fashion
    • 2023 Best In Black Fashion Awards
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • Red Carpet
    • Fashion News
    • Accessories
  • Beauty
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • 2023 Best In Black Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Hair
      • Hair News
      • Natural
      • Relaxed
      • Transitioning
      • Weave
      • 4C
  • Lifestyle
    • Love
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Bridal Bliss
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Money & Career
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · News

Referee Who Made Wrestler Cut Locs Receives Two-Season Suspension

Referee Alan Maloney is suspended after forcing high school wrestler Andrew Johnson to cut his locs before competing in a match.
Referee Who Made Wrestler Cut Locs Receives Two-Season Suspension
By Tanya A. Christian · Updated December 6, 2020

The referee who made national headlines nearly two years ago for ordering a young wrestler to cut his locs or forfeit a match, has been suspended by the state for two seasons. According to the Associated Press, the ruling, which came down on Wednesday, also included mandatory bias training for all referees and coaches involved in high-school level athletic programs.

Referee Alan Maloney set social media ablaze when a video of a school official cutting Andrew Johnson’s locs at the direction of the ref was posted to Twitter. A subsequent investigation into the incident by the state’s Division on Civil Rights determined that Johnson’s hair required a hair covering according to governing rules, but when one could not be located, Maloney gave Johnson an ultimatum. 

Does anyone know the full name of Andrew Johnson’s school? Yes, to referee pressure. Absolutely. But I want to explore the school officials on-site, mainly the coaches, that allowed this to happen to a minor.

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) December 21, 2018

The report, according to the AP, also concluded that various officials applied the governing rules to traditionally Black hairstyles regardless of length. Wednesday’s ruling seeks to eliminate biased interpretations “that allowed wrestling officials to determine that traditionally Black hairstyles were ‘unnatural’ or to subject wrestlers with traditionally Black hairstyles to differential treatment as to when a hair cover was required.”

New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association will provide in-person training to wrestling officials within the state prior to the start of the season. By the end of the 2020-2021 school year, all high-school officials will receive implicit bias training with a requirement to give trainings to coaches, trainers and administrators.

Article continues after video.

In an email obtained by the AP, Johnson family attorney Dominic Speziali expressed satisfaction with the ruling and said, “we hope that no athlete going forward will be forced to sacrifice their identity for the opportunity to compete.”

TOPICS:  alan maloney Andrew Johnson
COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now