Wrestling Ref Who Forced Student To Cut Dreadlocks Is Suing For Defamation

BYAlexander Cole1.7K Views
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High School Wrestling
The referee believes they did nothing wrong.

Back in December, high school wrestling referee Alan Maloney made waves in the worst way possible as he asked Buena High School wrestler Andrew Johnson to cut off his dreads, or he'd have to forfeit his match. The clip of Johnson shaving his dreads in the gym ended up going viral and outrage ultimately ensued. People started to do some digging on Maloney and actually found out that he had a pretty racist past. According to TMZ Sports, Maloney hasn't officiated a single wrestling tournament since and now, the disgraced ref is suing the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association for defamation.

The lawsuit is reportedly worth upwards of $100,000 as Maloney feels as though his name has been dragged through the mud. In his letter to the NJSIAA, Maloney says that Johnson's hair was too long as stipulated in the rules laid out by their own organization. He believes he gave Johnson a fair amount of time to either wear a head covering or get his hair cut and that in the end, he was just following protocol.

Despite being told to shave off his dreads, Johnson overcame adversity and ended up helping his team to win the tournament. Thanks to his victories out on the mat, the school ended up qualifying for the regional championships.


About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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