Wrestling with Dreads While Black

So high school wrestler Andrew Johnson stepped up to the mat in a 120 lb bout, only to be told by the referee, Alan Maloney, that he had to cut off his dreads or forfeit the match. Johnson, who is black, allowed his hair to be cut and went on to win the bout.

Regulations require that hair below collar level be confined in an approved cap that can be worn under the headgear. This eliminates threats of hair pulling and having your hair ripped out. Apparently, Johnson's dreads were not sufficiently confined for the ref's interpretation. Maloney, the white ref, also has a past history of throwing racial slurs at black men during meets.

So: racist power play, or concern for rules and safety? Or both? How far can a ref go in affecting a student athlete's lifestyle? Should further provisions be made regarding hairstyles? This was not the freaking Olympics. Seems to me a warning could be issued or his coach should have provided appropriate headwear prior to the meet. OTOH, if Johnson had his hair pulled out during the bout, the ref would certainly have some responsibility.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...=.ee415d80db97

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