Remember earlier this year when a high school referee made a student wrestler cut off his dreadlocks ahead of his match? Well that referee, named Alan Maloney, has been suspended for two years USA Today reports.
The news was announced Wednesday following an investigation into the December 19 incident. The 16-year old kid, Andrew Johnson, was told his hair was "unnatural," and the ref only gave him 90 seconds to trim his locks down. Once a video showing Drew's ordeal went viral, people were irate to see what the young kid had to go through.
As a result, the Division on Civil Rights has implemented a revised "Guidance on Race Discrimination Based on Hairstyle." The new policy indicates that guidelines which previously banned, limited or restricted hairstyles closely associated with those of African-American descent are now in violation of New Jersey law.
"Student athletes should be able to compete with each other on a level playing field," New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said in a statement. "Racial discrimination in the enforcement of the rules of any sport is inconsistent with the spirit of fair play."
