Girl Who Said White Classmates Cut Her Dreadlocks Says She Made Up Story

A sixth-grade black girl at a private Virginia middle school who claimed three of her white classmates forcibly cut off her dreadlocks is now admitting that her tale was made up.

The 12-year-old student, Amari Allen, initially claimed three white boys held her down in a school playground during recess, covered her mouth, insulted her, and cut her hair using scissors.

Allen’s grandparents, who are her legal guardians, released an apology on Monday “for the pain and anxiety these allegations have caused.”

“To those young boys and their parents, we sincerely apologize for the pain and anxiety these allegations have caused,” the grandparents wrote in a statement obtained by the Washington Post.

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

The school’s principal also released an apology, thanking the Fairfax County Police Department for assisting in the investigation.

“We can now confirm that the student who accused three of her classmates of assault has acknowledged that the allegations were false. We’re grateful to the Fairfax County Police Department for their diligent work to investigate these allegations,” Danish wrote in a message sent to parents and the community.

“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. We recognize that we now enter what will be a long season of healing,” the message continued.