
a “black teen” WAS NOT FORCED to cut his hair by a “white referee”.
The athlete was not in compliance with the rules.
The referee was enforcing the rules.
The athlete elected to come into compliance, competed and won.
It’s as simple as that.
.
But rather than write a story about perserverence and the competitive spirit we write a story to gin up racist hatred.
.
1. The student athlete was NOT IN COMPLIANCE with the RULES.
2. The referee enforce the rules by giving the athlete the choice to come in compliance with the rules within the specified time limit or forfeit the match.
3. The student athlete was given a choice and he ELECTED to have his own hiar cut and compete since he did not have the proper head gear rather than forfeit the match.
He WAS NOT coerced nor FORCED to get his hair cut.
.
“A wrestling official who required an African-American grappler from Buena Regional High School to cut his dreadlocks or forfeit his bout in a match against Oakcrest was acting in accordance with the rules, according to multiple South Jersey referees.
According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, wrestlers’ hair cannot extend past the earlobes. If it does, they must wear a legal hair cap to cover it.
Johnson was wearing a cap, but it wasn’t attached to the headgear as the rule requires, according to Buena graduate Ron Roberts, a wrestling referee of more than 20 years.
Johnson would’ve been in compliance in the past, but the rule changed within the past couple of seasons to require the cap to be attached to the headgear, according to Howie O’Neil, who’s officiated for 44 years.
“The interpretation of the rule was applied correctly,” said Roberts, who hadn’t seen the video, but had heard of the incident. “The kid had to have legal head cover by rule or he’s got to cut his hair.””