HAIRY PLAY
Shocking moment girl’s basketball player rips opponent down by the ponytail during high school game
VIDEO shows the shocking moment a girl’s basketball player rips her opponent down to the ground by yanking on her ponytail in the middle of a high school game.
The hair-pulling incident at the basketball game circulated on social media, sparking an investigation between the two teams’ school districts.
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In the video, a girl in a white jersey on the side of the court shoots a basketball at the hoop.
As the girl’s opponent moves back with her arms up, the player in the white jersey appears to reach up and yank on the other girl's ponytail.
The girl in the black jersey is thrown to the ground.
Shortly after the rest of the players follow the ball to the opposite side of the court, the referee halts the game.
Both referees at the game rush to the girl to check on her as she lay on the ground.
The girl’s team then gather around her as she is walked off the court.
Both school districts are investigating what happened in the hair-pulling incident.
Norwalk, the Ohio high school district of the girl whose hair was pulled, called the move “aggressive.”
"First and foremost, I am concerned with the health of our injured student athlete. She is a fantastic hardworking young lady and in no way deserved the aggressive unsportsmanlike action taken against her,” Norwalk superintendent George Fisk told .
He said he had been in contact with Bellevue City Schools — the district whose player appeared to pull the Norwalk girl’s hair.
Fisk told WTOL that Bellevue “assured me that appropriate action will be taken upon the conclusion of their investigation.”
“Additionally, it is my hope the Ohio High School Athletic Association will not remain silent and uninvolved in this situation," he added.
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Although officials from Bellevue Schools initially WTOL they do not comment on student discipline, superintendent Kim Schubert said Tuesday that the situation was “immediately addressed.”
“Since viewing the video on Saturday, with the knowledge that no foul was called during the game, we quickly came to the conclusion that it would be our obligation to address the incident with disciplinary action and we have done so,” she said in a statement to WTOL.
“Our priority is the health and safety of all student athletes, including athletes at opposing schools and our own athletes."
Bellevue’s athletic director, Brian Schubert, also acknowledged the incident in a statement to .
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“As a school we promote positive sportsmanship and the situation is being addressed.”
Tim Stried, senior director of communications for the Ohio School Athletic Association said the organization was going to give Bellevue the opportunity to respond before internally addressing the issue.
"The OHSAA has seen the video and we are working with the two schools on this matter,” Stried told WTOL.
The OSHAA told WTVG they do not have the authority to penalize the player, and that the officials involved make hundreds of calls in each game and will not be penalized.
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