Virginia Sixth-Grader Recants Accusation That Classmates Cut Her Locks
SPRINGFIELD, Va. (AP/CBS News) — A northern Virginia girl has recanted her accusation that three classmates grabbed her and cut her locks on the playground of a northern Virginia private school.
Media outlets report that the girl's family issued an apology Monday to the boys, the school and the community.
Last week the 12-year-old girl told multiple media outlets that three of her sixth-grade classmates at Immanuel Christian School in Springfield called her hair "ugly" while they assaulted her at recess.
The girl is African American and said her attackers were white. The story received national attention.
The school's principal, Stephen Danish, sent a statement to parents Monday confirming the allegations were false.
"While we are relieved to hear the truth and bring the events of the past few days to a close, we also feel tremendous pain for the victims and the hurt on both sides of this conflict," he said. "We recognize that we now enter what will be a long season of healing."
He said the school feels "tremendous pain for the victims and the hurt on both sides of this conflict."
The girl's family also released a statement:
"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," the family said. "We understand there will be consequences, and we're prepared to take responsibility for them."
They added, "To the broader community, who rallied in such passionate support for our daughter, we apologize for betraying your trust."
Allen told CBS affiliate WUSA-TV that the boys called her dreadlocks "ugly" and "nappy" before cutting them off on the playground during recess. "They kept laughing and calling me names," Allen told the station, tearing up. "They called me 'ugly,' said, 'I shouldn't have been born.' They called me 'an attention-seeker.'"
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