the referee, alan maloney, grabbed headlines before. 2016 the "courier post" reported he was accused of using a racial slur against another referee at a private gathering. maloney later apologized. wrestling champion and olympic gold medalist jordan burrows shared his response to johnson's ordeal. >> in high school as you're growing and you're developing, you're establishing who you are, you're creating an identity, i know as a young black man how much my hair meant to me. >> reporter: regional high school administrators issued a statement saying "the assigned referee will no longer be permitted to officiate any more school sporting events for its athletes." the association that regulates new jersey athletics adding the ref will stay on the sidelines as state authorities complete their investigation. kathy park, nbc news. >>> here in new york the trial of joaquin el chapo guzman has been full of graphic testimony on how prosecutors say the drug lord carried out his operation. but this week another side emerged. el chapo the family man.

and the ref, alan maloney, has been pulled from working any more matches. we reached out to maloney, for comment, but have not heard back. elaine. ut quijano: all right, demarco, a great deal of interest in this story, thank you. still ahead, spectacular eruptions from one of the world's most active volcanoes. world's most active volcanos. i'm sorry, i don't understand-king german) ♪ ♪ thanks to our amazing cells. like you, your cells get hungry. feed them. with centrum silver. specially crafted for adults 50+. so you can be awesome, daily. ce m.ru nt you've i like working.areer. what if my retirement plan is i don't want to retire? then let's not create a retirement plan. let's create a plan for what's next. i like that. get a plan that's right for you. ♪et a plan that's right for you. mucinex cold & flu all-in-one. fights... ...sore throat, fever, cough, sinus pressure, chest congestion, headache, nasal congestion, body pain... all in one. did you really need the caps lock? get tough on cold and flu symptoms. mucinex cold and flu all-in-one. ...that's why

reporter: the new jersey division of civil rights is investigating this incident, and the ref alan maloney, has been pulled from working any more matches. we have reached out to maloney for comment but have not heard back. elaine? >> all right, dimarco, great deal of interest in this story. thank you. >>> still ahead, spectacular eruptions from one of the world's most active volcanos. know what turns me on? my better half, hors d oeuvres and bubbly. and when i really want to take it up a notch we use k-y yours & mine. tingling for me, warming for him. wow! this holiday season get what you want here is another laundry hack from home made simple. do you want ready to wear clothing without all the hassle? you can, with bounce dryer sheets. simply toss two sheets in the dryer to iron less. we dried one shirt without bounce, and an identical shirt using bounce. the bounce shirt has fewer wrinkles, less static, and more softness and freshness. for extra large or wrinkly loads, toss in three sheets. dermatologist tested bounce free and gentle is free of dyes and perfumes. bounce out wrinkles, bou

the referee alan maloney grabbed headlines before. in 2016 the "courier post" reported he was accuse of using a racial slur against another referee at a private gathering. maloney later apologized. wrestling champion and olympic gold medalist jordan burrows shared his response to johnson's ordeal. >> in high school as you're growing and you're developing, you're establishing who you are, you're creating an identity, i know as a young black man how much my hair meant to me. >> reporter: buena high school administrators issued a statement saying the assigned referee will no longer be permitted to officiate any more school sporting events for its athletes. the association that regulates new jersey athletics adding the ref will stay on the sidelines as state authorities complete their investigation. kathy park, nbc news. >> hard to watch him getting his hair chopped off like that. >> yeah. i think we know why, though. we saw a picture of the ref. >> there you go. >>> well, in florida a historic launch of a spatecex falcon rocket. >> igniti

the referee, alan maloney, grabbed headlines before. in 2016 t "courier post" reported he was reported to have used a racial slur against a referee at another private gaering. malone apologized. wrestling championorn burrow talked about this. >> i know as a young black man how much my hair meant to me. >> reporter: high school administrators issued a statement saying the referee will no longer be permitted to referee any more school sporting events for its the association that regulates nejersey athletics adding the ref will stay on the sidelines as state authorities complete their investigation. kathy park, nbc news. >> you can tell even though he won he's just emotionally defeated. >> he looked drained. >> 9:09 is your time on this nunday morning. >> lau says bundle up on your way to church this morning. we'll take a life look outside. beautiful-looking image of our nation, of washington. lauryn is back with a closer look at your forecast where you live when news 4 today continues. i'm snow. and just like you, the further into winter

behalf today. 16-year-old andrew johnson was about to step on the mat for a match--when referee alan maloney, who is white, told him his dreadlocks and hair violated state wrestling rules. he was given the choice of forfeiting or getting a quick haircut on the spot. he chose the later -- and won the match. the family attorney says they are now waiting on the results of a new jersey division of civil rights investigation of the incident. the attorney said the referee was late for the weigh-in -- and should have raised any issues sooner, not right before the match. the attorney called the referee's actions that day "outrageous" and said his conduct -- quote -- "should be a disqualifying race-related transgression." (vicki) next at 6:45... it has been a tumultuous year in politics... to say the least. after the break we'll take a look back at some of the most controversial moments. oh! oh! ♪ ozempic®! ♪ (vo) people with type 2 diabetes are excited about the potential of once-weekly ozempic®. in a study with ozempic®, a majority of adults lowered their blood sugar and reached an a1c of less than

maloney was a referee. he believes the ref abused his power. >> just be a human being. understand, bro, listen, you can't do this to a young dude. it's a struggle for him. alantta be stopped, man, you gotta face consequences and rightfully so. >> reporter: in 2016 maloney was investigated for hurling a racial epithet at a black official. the case was later dropped. the new jersey state interscholatic atheltic assocation released a statement saying that they are "working to determine the exact nature of the incident and whether an infraction occurred," and is recommending "that the referee in question not be assigned to any event until this matter has been reviewed." after making such a personal sacrifice johnson's unwavering focus was on display, winning in overtime and showing true sportsmanship to the very end. well before a wrestling match begins a skin and nail check is required of every athlete to prevent violations. johnson apparently passed that stage but wasn't told there was a problem until he was about to step onto the mat. elaine, he was given 90 seconds to make that decision. >> quijano: wow a lot of people saw this decision. meg oliver, thank yo

just out of the frame of the video -- which has since gone viral -- the referee, alan maloney, demanded the trainer keep cutting johnson's hair until he was satisfied with its length. maloney had arrived late to the match and missed a way in, where referees would typically raise objections to a wrestler's appearance. in 2016, alan maloney admitted n-word" during a conversation with other sports officials, and later apologized for the racist slur. johnson's family said -- and those are some of the headlines. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. nermeen: and i'm nermeen shaikh. welcome to all of our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. u.s. customs and border protection have ordered medical checks on every child in its custody following the death of two guatemalan children in recent weeks. on christmas eve, an eight-year-old guatemalan boy named felipe gomez alonzo died in new mexico while in the custody of cbp. the child was admitted to a hospital earlier on christmas eve, diagnosed with a common cold, given i

the referee, alan maloney, did not respond for comment. new jersey athletics officials say he won't be assigned to moderate matches until the incident has been thoroughly reviewed. >>> we got a health alert for thousands of surgical patients in northern new jersey. anyone who had outpatient surgery at health-plus surgery center in saddlebrook from september 7th to september 28th is being urged to get their blood test. the state health department says unsanitary conditions were found at that facility. patients may have been exposed to hepatitis b, hepatitis c, and hiv. no illnesses were reported, and the actual risk of infection is said to be low. the surgery center says it has improved its infection control and sterile processing and says it's cleaned and repaired all of its instruments. >>> at least one person was killed when a plane crashed between two homes in sioux falls, south dakota. happened around 5:00 p.m. christmas day. authorities say one person died. the two homes sustained heavy damage. a team from the national transportation

is standard for wrestlers with long hair have the option to cover their heads, but th referee, alan maloney, would not allow it. >> his hair has always been like that, so for them to now bring it up is out of line. >> reporter: the buena superintendent of schools releasing this statement today. the referee will no longer be permitted to officiate any contests that include any buena regional school district student athletes. johnson's win propelling his team to victory, but with a spilt lip, of h walks off the mat looki ining a he'd just been defeated. demands are growing for maloney to be fired or punished. neither maloney or johnson responded to our questions for comments. >>> a lehigh university student is under arrest tonight. the poisoning is not the only charge the suspect is now facing. here's linsey davis. >> reporter: a lehigh university student is behind bars tonight after police say he had been trying to kill his roommate for several months. prosecutors say 22-year-old yukai yang from china faces several charges including attempted homicide and aggravated assault. authorities say

the johnson family's attorney now saying the ref, alan maloney, showed up late to the match. and when he did evaluate andrew, he failed to raise any issues with the length of his hair or the need to wear a head covering. johnson won, but that hasn't stopped the angry outpouring on social media. chance the rapper labelling the incident bogus. and olympic wrestler jordan burroughs saying it's sickening. >> in high school as you're establishing who you are, creating an identity, i know as a young black man how much my hair meant to me. >> reporter: new jersey sports officials say they've opened a civil rights investigation and have sidelined maloney. a new jersey paper reported that in 2016, he called a fellow ref a racial slur. maloney later apologized and has not responded to our request for comment. now his latest call leaving a community to wrestle with controversy. matt bradley, nbc news. >>> thousands of people who opened up their wallets for a homeless man on gofundme have gotten their money back. the crowdfunding site issued refunds just in time for christmas. the scam r

cover which is was but johnson was only given the option of a haircut or a forfeit by referee alan maloney he's now been suspended the referee has until the incident is fully investigated johnson went on to win earlier though we spoke to sports and legal affairs analyst here pope who was shocked by the incident. i was sick to my stomach i wanted to puke when i saw it i thought that in two thousand and eighteen we would not witness the literal. rejection of another person's culture and their heritage and cutting dreads off even with the his head is covered the young man's covered per state rules but the referee so decided to go beyond that. and so it was a shocking display a courageous display by this young man to stand up for his team and decide it's a win but we saw at the end when the referee. raised his hand in victory after the young man won his match he threw his hands up but he me to put it down because it was it was a it was a victory on the match but it was a loss in the culture and so it's very shocking to see this and we've seen an error in our country when increased hate crime a

contained under a hair covered johnson was only given the option of a haircut or a forfeit by referee alan maloney he's now beans been suspended until the incident is fully investigated johnson went on to win earlier though we spoke to sports and legal affairs analyst xavier pope who was shocked by the incident. i was sick to my stomach i wanted to puke when i saw it i thought that in two thousand and eighteen we would not witness the literal. rejection of another person's culture and their heritage and cutting dreads off even would be his head is covered the young man's covered per state rules but the referee so decided to go beyond that. and so it was a shocking display a courageous display by this young man to stand up for his team and decide it's a win but we saw at the end. when the referee. raised his hand in victory after the young man won his match he threw his hands up but he me to put it down because it was it was a it was a victory on the match but it was a loss in the culture and so it's very shocking to see this and we've seen an error in our country will increase hate crime an increa

cover which is was but johnson was only given the option of a haircut or a forfeit by referee alan maloney he's now been suspended this referee has until the incident is fully investigated johnson went on to win earlier though we spoke to sports and legal affairs analyst exam your pope who was shocked by the incident . i was sick to my stomach i wanted to puke when i saw it i thought that in two thousand and eighteen we would not witness the literal. rejection of another person's culture and their heritage and cutting dreads off even when. the his head is covered the young man's covered per state rules but the referee so decided to go beyond that. and so it was a shocking display a courageous display by this young man to stand up for his team and decide it's a win but we saw at the end when the referee. raised his hand in victory after the young man won his match he threw his hands up but he me to put it down because it was it was a it was a victory on the match but it was a loss in the culture and so it's very shocking to see this and we've seen an error in our country when increased hate

. >> reporter: the ref, alan maloney, said the hair violated athletic regulations. league rules state that if a player's hair is too long, they can choose to wear a cap that is attached to the ear guards. it's not known why a cap wasn't an option in this case. not wanting to hurt the team, andrew agreed to the cut, wincing as a trainer chopped off his hair. the young man, in all his humility, went on to pin his opponent. dejected but undefeated. the governor of new jersey saying this on twitter. no student should have to needlessly choose between his or her identity and playing sports. nearly 13 million views later, many want to know, what role, if any, did race play? according to a report by "the courier post," maloney, who is white, acknowledged calling another ref a racial slur back in 2017. -- in 2016. he was suspended and sent to sensitivity training after the incident. tom, the ref hasn't been fired but he has been sidelined pending the current investigation. tom. >> zachary, thank you. >>> new developments tonight in search for that young mother in colorado m

but the referee, alan maloney, >> his hair has always been like that, so for them to now bring it up is out of line. >> reporter: the buena superintendent of schools releasing this statement today. the referee will no longer be permitted to officiate any rey angionala en school district athletes. te to ctorwin propelling his but with a split lip, and reluctant raise of his hand, he walks off the mat looking as if he'd just been defeated. demands are growing for maloney to be fired or punished. responded to our requests for comment. tonight. linsey, thank you. >>> next, a former student at lehigh university is under arrest tonight. swly poisoning roommate by lacing his milk and his mouthwash with a dangerous chemical. the two had been roommates for years. victim saying he thought they were friends. x pere tgez.us s not thenlbc >> reporter: a lehigh university student is behind bars tonight after police say he had been trying to kill his roommate for several months. prosecutors say 22-year-old yukai yang from china faces several charges including a aggravated assault. authorities say t

they claim referee alan maloney was late and missed weigh-ins, the moment where a wrestler's appearance is inspected for possible rule violations. they write, when andrew was evaluated, the referee failed to raise any issues with the length of his hair or the need to wear a head covering. the family says the head covering was not brought up until later and that when andrew took to the mat with it on, it was rejected, and that when they son, quote, requested he be allowed to push his hair back as he did the weekend prior, the referee again refused, because, quote, it wasn't in its natural state, referring to the dread locks as braids. olympic wrestling gold medalist jordan burroughs says this incident is about more than the game. >> for me, the instance is magnified because of how closely related to culture and identity dreadlocks are. >> reporter: that referee is suspended, as the new jersey division of civil rights investigates whether face was a factor. andrew's parents say they don't want any other student athlete to experience what their son went through. tom? >> adrienne, thank you

cover which is was but johnson was only given the option of a haircut or a forfeit by referee alan maloney has now been suspended this referee has until the incident is fully investigated johnson went on to win earlier though we spoke to sports and legal affairs analyst exam your pope who was shocked by the incident. i was sick to my stomach i wanted to puke when i saw it i thought that in two thousand and eighteen we would not witness the literal. rejection of another person's culture and their heritage and cutting dreads off even when. the his head is covered the young man's covered per state rules but the referee so decided to go beyond that. and so it was a shocking display a courageous display by this young man to stand up for his team and decide it's a win but we saw at the in when the referee. raised his hand in victory after the young man won his match he threw his hands up but he me to put it down because it was it was a it was a victory on the match but it was a loss in the culture and so it's very shocking to see this and we've seen an error in our country when increased hate cr

a decision handed down by referee alan maloney, who said the athlete's hair len head gear broke the rules. johnson won the match, b response was swift. some calling the haircut a case ofsm ra >> wrong. flat out wrong. >> it's very disrespectfu's and discrimination. >> reporter: social media quickly lit up as well. civil rights activist shawn king called it disgusting and jersey wrote n no student should have to choose between his or her identity and playing sports. the refereelan maloney grabbed headlines before. in 2016 the "courier post" reported he was accuse of using a racial a slur againstnother referee at a privateer gag. maloney laterap ologized. wrestling champion and olympic m goldalist jordan burrows shared his response to johnson's ordeal. >> in high y school as're growing and you're developing, you're establishing w you are, you're creating an identity, i know as a young black man how much my hair meant to me. >> reporter: buena high school administrators issued a statement saying thefessigned reree will no longer be permitted to off iate any more school sporting events for it

. >> we are deeply troubled by the humiliation our young athlete endured.er >> repo referee alan maloney gave johnson two choices just moments before his match, cut his dreadlocks or forfeit. the ref saying his hair violated the rules. the family saying the teen had wrestled the weekend befowi thout issue. video going viral, leading to cries of racism.>> the burden that andrew had to carry was caused by the referee and caused by the entities thd alloim to be in that position. >> reporter: in a statement earlier this week, the family's attorney pointed to the fact that maloney was late to the me and missed weigh-ins where athles are expected. the attorney general's office say they've opened a civ rights investigation, benching maloney, who has hads previou brushes with controversy. it was rerted he call a fellow ref a racial slur in 2016. each later apologized. >> no child should ever be faced with such a situation. >> that s kristen dahlgren reporting. >> andrew's team has a match today but he will not be competiecause of all of the intense spotlight he's been under. he'll likly compete

the referee told alan maloney to pull his hair back. and something he has done in past matches. maloney refused because the teen's hair wasn't in the natural state. the dreadlocks? the district will not send the team to any events where maloney is officiating. >> the district will not send it's teams where maloney is officiating. >> the attorney general's office announced a probe. the ordeal angering many across the state. governor phil murphy tweeting no student should have to choose between his or her identity and playing sports. despite the disruption, he did win his match and the referee has yet to respond to our request for comment. >>> the trump administration facing the first legal challenge to the ban on bump stocks. devices that make semiautomatic weapons to automatic. the gun owners of america group says it filed a lawsuit against the bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms calling it unconstitutiona unconstitutional. >>> a manhunt in california for a suspect which gunned down an officer during a traffic stop. the officer pull

a source from the new jersey wrestling association tells us alan maloney was given a one-year suspensionr racist language. because the incident did not happen at the event, the suspension was overturned on appeal. >> maloney says he doesn't remember using the slur, but believed him and apologized. video of the trainer cutting andrew johnson's hair in the middle of the match went viral prompting criticism. the state division of civil rights is investigating. >>> graphic details coming to light about the sex assault accusations against kevin spacey. this is a warning. this story has sexually explicit language. the criminal complaint from nantucket, massachusetts, alleges that spacey bought a teenager a number of alcoholic drinks in 2016 and bragged to him about the size of his penis. he later reached over and started to rub the teen's thigh. spacey unzipped the man's pants and rubbed him. the accuser took a brief snapchat video of the alleged assault. investigators say they have that video. cnn's miguel marquez has more. >> reporter: christine and joe, despite a heavy night of drinking wit

andrew johnson told the referee identified as alan maloney to push back his hair. something he has done in the past. maloney refused because the teen's hair wasn't in its natural state whatever that means. the district will not send the team to any events where maloney is officiating. >> the state athletic association is investigating. the attorney general's office announced a probe. the ordeal angering many across the state. governor phil murphy tweeting no student should have to choose between his or her identity and playing sports. despite the disruption, he did win his match in overtime. the referee has not responded to our request for a comment. >>> one city in massachusetts is taking a new approach to teen vaping. somer bi erville is restricting vaping to adult only stores. e-cigarettes are marketed to teens who don't understand the health risks. the number of high school students vaping jumped by 78% and use of middle schoolers rose 48%. >>> an arizona man fulfills an 8-year-old girl's christmas wish sent by balloon from mexico. randy heiss was hiking with h

. >> reporter: the ref, alan maloney, said the hair violated athletic regulations.rules say if the player's hair is too long they can choose to wear a cap that is attached to the ear guards. it's not known why a cap wasn't an option in this case. not wanting to hurt the team, andrew agreed to the cut, wincing as a trainer chopped off his hair. the young man in all his humility went on to pin his opponent, dejected but undefeated. the governor of new jersey saying this on twitter. "no sthunt should have to needlessly choose between his or her identity and playing sports." nearly 32 million views later many want to know what role if any did race play. according to a report by the" "courier post" maloney who is white acknowledged calling another ref a slashl slur in 2016. he was suspended and sent to sensitivity training after the incident. the ref has not been fired, but he has been sidelined pending the current investigation. zachary quiche, abc news, new york. >>> come january 1st many workers in the bay area could be taking home a larger paycheck. statewide the min

a source from the new jersey wrestling association tells us alan maloney was given a one-year suspensionlanguage. aimed at a fellow referee. because the incident did not happen at the event, the suspension was overturned on appeal. >> maloney says he doesn't remember using the slur, but believed him and apologized. video of the trainer cutting andrew johnson's hair in the middle of the match went viral prompting criticism. he won that match, by the way. >>> whiplash. roller coaster. whatever you want to say will fit. stocks staged a major comeback. dow closed up 260 points. erasing a 611--point loss earlier in the day. investors are looking for certainty. there is a cloud of chaos surrounding a slowing global economy and trade policies and moves by the federal reserve. president trump happy about the market boosts. a source telling cnn the president called advisers on his way back from iraq after the markets closed wednesday. he uses the markets as his barometer political standing. in phone calls, the president believes the economy is doing great. great end of the year for consumer spend

the administrators say referee alan maloney will no longer officiate events.ohnson won his match, and a lot of new supporters. >>> coming up, the last-minute holiday shopping rush is on. we take you to a parade of procrastinators at bay area malls. >> oh, boy, here they come. i can never find parking at any mall during the holidays. we have a beautiful shot on top of sutro tower. the golden gate bridge, dry conditions now, but we do have some incoming rain. i'll break it down for you, plus king tides are here again. details coming up. you the one thing to check for with every gift you open this christmas. and we )ll get you ready to head out the door with weather and traffic. today in the bay. monday morning from 4:30 to 7. fremont - tesla factory >> welcome back. it's 7:14 on your sunday morning. looks dark but clear over freeh mon fremont as we look at the tesla factory. anyone getting a tesla for christmas? no? didn't think so. i'm not either. tesla may fall short of delivery goals between now and the new year but the company is making a promise to customer

alan maloney will not serve as a ref until an invtigation is complete.il rights investigation. the scho board met with the coach and trainers privately before that meeting.wr thtler, through an attorney, said those coaches are not to blame for the incident. >> andrew and the family are supportive of the coaching staff, specifically george maxwell, and mrs. fields, the trainer who was there cutting his hair. the blame here is on the referee. >> this incident sparked outrage nationwide. andrew says he's a bit overwhelmed by all of the attention and will sit out a meet later today. however, he does plan to return the team toinish the season. >>> all right. car wash forecast. well, you could take your chances on getting ity. washed to it will be dry for today. oh, there's rain coming your way for tomorrow. so as long as you can put it the garage, might as well shine it up there on your thursday afternoon. a check of the ten-day outlookp. coming right >>> trouble on 270 southbound in gaithersburg. 's a crash beyond 370. only one left lane getting by. we'll ha

alan maloney will not serve as a ref until an investigation is complete.ights investigation. the school board met with the coach and trainers privately before the big meeting last night. the wrestler, through an, attornaid that the coaches and trainers are not to blame for this incident. >> andrew andhe famil are supportive of the coaching staff, specifically george maxwell, and mrs. fields, the trainer who was there cutting his hair. the blameere is on the referee. >> now, andrewill sit out a meet scheduled for later today. his attorney said it's because he's just been overwhelmed by attention.id o the s plan to return team soon to finish the season. >>> the wizards just cannoth catc a break after another brutal loss on the road. laop night they were td by the detroit pistons 106-95. the wizards now have 16 road losses this season, the most in the nba. but things could turn around as the team's nexthree games are back here at home. the first one tips off tomorrow night against the chicago bulls. >>> and hope you connected with your relatives in new york o

the ref, alan maloney, showed up late for the match and missed weigh-ins where the wrestlers are inspectede referee rejected the head covering andrew was wearing and issued the ultimatum. new jersey sports officials say they've opened a civil rights investigation, sidelining maloney. a new jersey paper reported in 2016 he called a fellow ref a racial slur. maloney later apologized. he hasn't responded to nbc news' request for comment and now a school community is wrestling with the wrestler's fate. tomorrow night the school board will see the first wrestling match, so everyone will be watching to see if johnson wrestles tomorrow under the glaring media spotlight. >> matt, is there any expectation, because again you make the point we haven't heard from the young man or his family, and that's their prerogative, but is there an expectation something else will be coming down the pike? >> reporter: ye can probably expect a little more after the meeting tonight, maybe after the match tomorrow, some kind of response. it looks like now the family has kind of gotten it together and are prepared to

to discuss what the board is calling, quote, personnel matters, prompted by how white referee alan maloney handled the head covering worn by black wrestler, andrew johnson. maloney told the 16-year-old his hair was too long and wasn't sufficiently covered, ordering him to cut his hair or forfeit the match. video of the very public haircut went viral. people calling it, quote, racist, and humiliating. >> it doesn't matter if he is black, white, or purple. it broke my heart to watch that young man stand there and be humiliated like that. >> reporter: johnson won his match but appeared visually distraught, leaving many people to ask, why didn't anyone stop it from happening? >> what administrative were there that did not step up to the plate? >> the blame is on the referee. >> reporter: maloney was repeatedly reprimanded for repeatedly using a racial slur. he has been primly banned from working in the district. the school district, the state attorney civil rights division and state attic association are all investigating the incident. in washington, ray bogan, fox news. >>> well, it was a spe

. >> reporter: the ref, alan maloney, gave the buena high school wrestler an option, cut his locks onregulations. the student athlete's mother writing on facebook afterwards, hardest thing i've ever seen. he is good now, but that was brutal emotionally and physically. marco, a student, was in the gym when it all went down. he says -- >> many people in the crowd were definitely angry that they were cutting his hair. >> reporter: -- he's never seen this happen before. >> from the matches i have seen i have not seen his dreads be a problem with the referee or anything like that. >> reporter: according to "s and j today," a news outlet, johnson's coaches argued with officials about the decision to cut his hair, but with time running out, andrew agreed to cut it. according to league rules, if a player's hair is too long, they can choose to wear a cap as long as it's a legal hair cover that is attached to the ear guards. the wrestler opting to wear a legal hair cover must wear it to the weigh-in procedure. why a cap wasn't an option in this case is unknown. in a statement, the school superi

the referee, alan maloney, didn't respond for comment.rate matches until the incident has been thoroughly reviewed. >>> try to top this christmas gift -- pitcher brady singer was drafted this year by the kansas city royals. he got a $4 million signing bonus. for christmas he thanked his parents for all they sacrificed for helping him play baseball. it ends with an impressive gesture. >> you money you spent on traveling, gear, hotel, food, and all the gatorades i drank is much more than i could ever give you. but there's something i want to give to you -- i am paying off the loan from the bank. also i paid off all your debt, as well. what? now instead of trying to save money every weekend to replace the savings account you drained on traveling to see me play baseball, you can spend it on yourselves. >> my god. >> what a moment. >> singer paid off all his parents' debts. his letter concludes, your giving hearts helped to shape my tiny dream into a reality. awesome. >> that's just amazing. >> awesome. >>> if you didn't love your christmas gi

. >> reporter: ref, alan maloney, says the young man's hair violated athletic regulations. league rules state if a player's hair is stoo too long, they can wear a hair cover. why a cap in this case wasn't an option is still unknown. after 13 million views later, people, including celebs want to know what role race played. director ava duvernay tweeting, "i don't just wear locs, they are a part of me. a gift to me. so to watch this young man's ordeal wrecked me." the league added they will not assign the referee in question until this matter has been thoroughly reviewed. according to a report by the courier post, maloney, who is white, acknowledged his racist comments towards another ref back in 2016. maloney was then suspended and sent to sensitivity training. the young man weighed down by the moment rose above the adversity, pinning his opponent. visibly dejected but undefeated. >> i was pretty proud of him because that was not easy to do. >> so awesome for that kid that he won the wrestling match, but deeply disturbing i think puts it lightly. >> deeply disturbing. deeply

alan maloney gave the ultimatum to 16-year-old andrew johnson in new jersey.eing cut before going on to win. a meeting between school leaders and community members got heated. >> i know that there were rules and regulations that he had to follow. whether he followed them correctly or not i don't really care. he does not belong in that wrestli wrestling association at the scholastic level. >> state officials are investigating. johnson's lawyers claimed maloney failed to raise rule violations with the wrestler's hair in a pre-match inspection and that the wrestler covered his hair in other matches with no issues. >> not the end of that story. >>> how do you know if chest pain the a sign of heart trouble or just something you hate? dr. christopher kelly and dr. mark eisenberg paying an unusual house call in our toyota green room to show us how humor can help patie >>> we have much more newsth ahave muchore news coast ard searching far missing cruise how surveillance video captured his last moments on board. >>> plus, how it took a near-death experience for a chic

multiple news outlets say the referee is alan maloney.as accused of calling another ref a racial slur during a social gathering in 2016. nbc news called the number listed for maloney but did not receive a response. and coming up next, we say our good-byes to departing house speaker paul ryan. >>> i leave here as convinced i was at the start that we face no challenge that can be overcome by putting pen to paper on good sound policy. by addressing head-on the problems of date. state of politics though is another question. and frankly, that is one i don't have an answer for. i acknowledge plainly that my ambitions for entitlement reforms have outpaced the political reality and i consider this our greatest unfinished business. >> and his life long political dream, to guts the safety net programs while bending over baek war back cards for the wealthy. and an op-ed points out that it is simply a fitting end to paul ryan's disappointing hypocri hypocritical tenure that his final act is pa pit chew laew capitulating to donald trump. >> the presid

referee alan maloney said his hair was against the rules. >> i came here because i'm a wrestler and iefend that kid. >> reporter: the community questioned whether the referee's actions were racially motivated and if school officials should have stepped in. >> what i saw made me sick to my stomach. i don't know who is at fault. that's their job to come tell me what happened. >> it didn't matter if he was black, white, green or purple, it broke my heart to watch that young man stand there and be humiliated like that. >> we are discussing personnel and legal matters in this closed session. >> reporter: the superintendent said he met with the board to review what happened. the johnsons' attorney defended the coach and the trainer, but questioned the rules administrators who were at the meet. the rules state if an individual has hair longer than allowed, it must be contained in a legal hair cover that is attached to the ear guards. the wrestler opting to wear a legal hair cover must wear it to the weigh-in procedure. maloney reportedly used a racial slur at a gathering of referees several

. >> reporter: referee alan maloney gave johnson two choices moments before his match last week.ad tears coming down his eyes. >> reporter: the ref saying johnson's hair violated the rules. the teen h wrestled the week before without issue. video going viral, leading to allegations of racism. the family's attorney defending johnson's coaches and athletic trainer saying the blame should the ref. >> the burden that andrew had to carry was caused by the referee and caused by the entities that allowed h be in that position. >> reporter: in a statement earlier this week the family's attorney pointed to the fact that maloney was late to the meet and missed weigh ins. new jersey sports officials and the state attorney general's office have opened a civil rights investigation, benching maloney, who has had previhes brus with controversy. a new jersey paper reported that maloney called a fello ref a racial slur in c016. >> nld should be faced with such a situation. >> reporter: education officials nowng to make their final call on what action, if any, they make on the matter. >> i guess t

association and state attorney general's office are opening a civil rights investigation and referee alan maloneyll be side lined until it's complete. social media is blowing up with many calling the rev's move racist. chance the rapper labeling the incident bogus. new orleans saints player benjamin watson tweeting this entire scene reeks of the bias so many fight daily. ava duvernay writing to watch this young man's ordeal wrecked me. an olympic gold medalist calling the incident sickening. >> in high school as you're growing, developing, establishing who you are, creating and identity i know as a young black man how much my hair meant to me. >> humiliated in this ridiculous discriminatory way. >> reporter: it's not the referee's first brush with controversy. a new jersey paper reported that he called a fellow rev a racial slur in 2016. maloney later apologized and now his latest call leaving a community to wrestle with controversy. >> hard to watch that. matt, what do the rules say about this? >> reporter: the rules say that players with long hair or hair that goes beyond their ears can wear ki

. >> reporter: the school's superintendent says the referee, alan maloney will never officiate another match in the district. >> we don't want to be a part with the referee moving forward. he is done working with our district. >> reporter: the family claims in a statement that maloney was late and missed weigh-ins. the moment johnson's appearance would have been checked out and that the head covering johnson had was rejected by the referee. high school wrestling regulations state that an athlete's hair cannot hang longer than his shirt collar and must be contained in a head cover or hair net. for many in this community the controversy has hit a nerve. >> that never should have happened. it's going to take that kid years to get over that. and the referee, if there are racial overtones, he needs to be gone from the score forever. that's it, bottom line. >> reporter: new jersey civil rights division is also investigating this case, and the family's lawyer also tells abc news that although the team have a match scheduled for today andrew johnson will not be present. >> adrienne, appreciate

that referee, alan maloney, has been benched while state officials investigate the matter.writes, he is good now, but that was brutal, emotionally and physically. in the end, johnson won his match in overtime. now, according to a report by "the courier post," maloney made racial comments toward an african-american referee back in 2016, but maloney said he did not remember using the offensive word, but believed the accounts of witnesses who told him he said it. the video of this young man having his hair cut has been viewed around 12 million times. >> it is hard to watch and hard to imagine there wasn't another option. all right, adrienne, thank you. whit? >>> adrienne, thanks. we want to turn to an alarming report. hundreds of doctors in the u.s. have surrendered their license after being accused of unprofessional conduct, but they are free to practice in other states. abc's erielle reshef is here now with the details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, whit. this morning, a warning from a woman who says her life was upended by a surgery gone wrong and a doctor