Referee who forced wrestler to cut dreadlocks banned 2 years
The decision concludes a near nine-month investigation by the state’s Division on Civil Rights and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). The referee, Alan Maloney, also must complete implicit bias training before he’s eligible for reinstatement.
In the aftermath, Buena School District said it would no longer use Maloney to referee any of its meets, and the NJSIAA launched an investigation. Maloney insisted that he correctly applied the rules regarding hair length. Three months later, he filed notice that he planned to sue for defamation and emotional distress.
As part of the agreement, the NJSIAA must mandate implicit bias training for all high school referees, coaches and athletic directors — that includes hair discrimination training. The Division on Civil Rights has issued a new “Guidance on Race Discrimination Based on Hairstyle,” explaining that treating people differently due to their hairstyle could violate anti-discrimination laws.
The implicit bias training must be completed statewide by the end of the 2020-21 school year.
Read more from NJ.com.