Family of girl who said classmates cut her dreadlocks apologizes for false claim

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/30/girl-dreadlocks-apology-school-virginia-cut

Sept. 30, 2019

A 12-year-old girl from northern Virginia has withdrawn her accusation that three classmates grabbed her and cut her dreadlocks on the playground of their private school.

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The girl is African American and said her attackers were white. The story received national attention.

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The girl’s grandparents, her legal guardians, said in a statement to the Post: “To those young boys and their parents, we sincerely apologize for the pain and anxiety these allegations have caused.

“To the administrators and families of Immanuel Christian School, we are sorry for the damage this incident has done to trust within the school family and the undue scorn it has brought to the school.

“To the broader community, who rallied in such passionate support for our daughter, we apologize for betraying your trust.

“We understand there will be consequences and we’re prepared to take responsibility for them. We know that it will take time to heal, and we hope and pray that the boys, their families, the school and the broader community will be able to forgive us in time.”

The school principal, Stephen Danish, sent a statement to parents on Monday confirming the allegations were false. He said the school feels “tremendous pain for the victims and the hurt on both sides of this conflict”.