Judge dismisses lawsuit by wrestling official in controversial South Jersey dreadlocks case

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit by a suspended high school referee who gave a South Jersey wrestler only seconds to choose between having his dreadlocks cut or forfeiting his match in 2018.

In a decision Tuesday, Superior Court Judge John Porto rejected defamation and other claims by veteran officiant Alan Maloney that the Buena Regional High School District in Atlantic County breached its duty to him by suspending him. Porto’s decision on the lawsuit filed by Maloney last year against the district, its wrestling coach, and athletic director followed a motion by the district in March to dismiss the case.

The incident in December 2018 involved Andrew Johnson, then a junior at Buena Regional High School, who was given 90 seconds to decide his fate. Johnson, 16, agreed to have several inches of his dreadlocks cut after Maloney told him he could not compete without a hair covering that met regulation standards.

A video of a distressed Johnson standing on the mat as a Buena trainer used scissors to cut his hair made international headlines. The incident prompted accusations of racism and cultural bias. Johnson is biracial. Maloney is white.

Read more: https://www.inquirer.com/education/nj-education-wrestling-dreadlocks-buena-andrew-johnson-referee-alan-maloney-20210506.html