N.J. school district to shun ref’s events

A New Jersey school district will shun any event with a referee who forced a 16-year-old wrestler to cut his dreadlocks during a recent meet. The incident, which caused national headlines and raised questions of racial and cultural bias, is under investigation by the state’s civil rights agency.

The district’s announcement Wednesday was reportedly made during an emergency meeting held by the Buena Regional Board of Education, with superintendent David Cappuccio saying (via CNN) he has informed the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) that his “school district and its athletic teams will not compete in any contest officiated by this referee from this point forward.”

A spokesman for the NJSIAA said Monday that the referee, Alan Maloney, will not be assigned to any more events until further notice. In a video that went viral last week, 120-pound wrestler Andrew Johnson of Buena Regional High School was visibly upset as his hair was shorn, following an ultimatum from Maloney that the teenager was to submit to that or forfeit his Dec. 19 match against an opponent from a rival school.

Johnson went on to win the match in sudden-victory overtime, earning praise for his willingness to do what it took to help his team win. Maloney, an experienced official who cited a rule against excessive hair length, has come under fire by, among other notable figures, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who tweeted Saturday that he was “deeply disturbed” by the incident.

“We have viewed the video footage that has gone viral and are deeply troubled by the embarrassment and humiliation our young student athlete endured,” Cappuccio said Wednesday. “District administration has been working diligently around the clock for the past several days collecting as much info as possible about the sequence of events.”

According to NJ.com, Buena Vista Township councilman Steve Martinelli said at the emergency meeting that Maloney was “a pig, and I wanted to strangle him” for his treatment of Johnson. Rachel Green of Action Together New Jersey said that “every adult failed” the teenager, adding, “This young man will never forget the physical and emotional toll that night took. It didn’t matter if he was black, white, cream or purple.”