Andrew Johnson's Attorney: Maloney Didn't Raise Concern with Dreadlocks at First

New Jersey high school wrestling referee Alan Maloney allegedly didn't raise concerns about the dreadlocks of Buena Regional High School wrestler Andrew Johnson until he was about to start his match against Oakcrest High School.

Dominic Speziali, Johnson's attorney, told Melanie Burney of the Philadelphia Daily News on Friday that Maloney showed up to the meet late and missed the weigh-in. He then informed Johnson that he needed to shave his chin stubble, but he didn't mention his hair until right before the scheduled bout.

"[Johnson] was told to shave the stubble on his chin, but nothing about his dreadlocks," Speziali said. "He [Maloney] said nothing about the hair."

Speziali said Johnson competed at a tournament the previous weekend with dreadlocks and that the school didn't have a protective covering available for the meet with Oakcrest, which led Maloney, who is white, to issue the ultimatum of cutting the hair or forfeiting the match, per Burney.

Mike Frankel of SNJ Today showcased the impromptu haircut and Johnson's eventual victory earlier this month:

Maloney has since been suspended pending investigations by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association and the state's division on civil rights.

He previously received a one-year suspension after Preston Hamilton, a black referee, said Maloney used a racial slur during a confrontation at a 2016 event for officials, per Mark Trible of the Courier Post. The ban was later overturned on appeal.

On Thursday, a source told TMZ Sports that Johnson is in "pretty good spirits" amid the controversy.

"He hopes for things to return to normal and he's looking forward to competing with his wrestling team again soon," the source said.

Meanwhile, sources close to Maloney told TMZ he was enforcing the rules and "race had nothing to do with the situation."