One North Jersey school district is filing a bias complaint against the state’s athletic association after referees disqualified a student athlete from playing in a girls basketball game because of her hair beads.
The South Orange-Maplewood School District alleges the decision was a form of racial discrimination and in violation of New Jersey’s Crown Act, which was enacted to prevent incidents like this against people of color.
Kevin Gilbert, acting Superintendent of South Orange-Maplewood, said: “Our student athletes should be able to be their best selves. They shouldn’t have to change their selves in order to meet any standard that people believe that they should be in terms of what their hair looks like.”
