Black wrestler had this choice: Cut his dreadlocks or forfeit the match, video shows

People watched Andrew Johnson as the black high school wrestler had his dreadlocks cut on the gym floor before a match.

But as first reported by SNJ Today News, it wasn’t his idea. Instead, a referee made him decide between forfeiting the match or getting his dreadlocks cut, the outlet reported.

Johnson — who attends Buena Regional High School in New Jersey — “chose the haircut,” as seen in video shared by SNJ Today News sports director Mike Frankel on Twitter.

Now there is growing backlash as people question why Johnson had to get his dreadlocks cut in the first place. There is also anger over accusations that the referee — identified as Alan Maloney — used the n-word to refer to a black referee back in 2016, NJ.com reported.

As reported by Newsweek, Johnson decided to cut his dreadlocks at the behest of the referee.

“Details about the incident were slowly unfolding amid questions about why Johnson was not permitted to wear a covering, common among wrestlers with long hair,” The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. “Buena school officials and wrestling coach George Maxwell did not immediately respond to telephone calls seeking comment.”

Rules from the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association say that “wrestlers opting to wear a legal hair cover must wear it to the weigh-in and be checked for grooming. The legal hair cover must be removed prior to the wrestler stepping on the scale to be weighed.”

After getting his dreadlocks cut, Johnson ended up being an integral part of the team’s 41-24 victory, NJ.com noted.

The incident has resurfaced explosive claims in a 2016 Courier Post article about Maloney.

“Over a disagreement about homemade wine, said Preston Hamilton, who is African American, fellow referee Alan Maloney poked his finger in his chest and hurled (the n-word),” the newspaper reported. “Maloney told the Courier-Post he does not remember using the word at all, let alone directing it at Hamilton, but believes the accounts of witnesses who told him he said the word.

“Hamilton told the Courier-Post he responded by slamming Maloney, who is white, to the ground.”

There is also growing outrage over how SNJ Today News sports director Frankel worded his tweet.

Specifically, people took offense at him calling Johnson’s decision to cut his dreadlocks the “epitome of a team player.”

Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., argued that Johnson’s teammates should have done more to stand up for him.

Others wondered whether the coaches and parents could have done more.

And some wrote that trying to make the incident a “feel-good story” misses the mark.

Frankel has responded to the critiques in a follow-up tweet.