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The young girl who previously accused three white, sixth-grade classmates of pinning her down on the playground and cutting her dreadlocks while yelling racial slurs is now coming forward to say she made the whole thing up.
As theGrio previously reported, the family of Amari Allen were outraged earlier this month after the 12-year-old girl said was harassed at school, called “ugly” and told her hair was “nappy” by a group of white boys. All the children are enrolled at the Immanuel Christian School in Fairfax, Virginia, a private K-12 academy. It happens top also be the school where Vice President Mike Pence’s wife is a teacher.
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According to a local NBC affiliate, her family’s attorney and the school confirm that she has since admitted to school officials that while she is a victim of classmate bullying, she actually cut her own hair.
“They kept laughing and calling me names,” Allen recalled to WUSA 9, as tears streamed down her face. “They called me ugly, said I shouldn’t have been born. They called me an attention-seeker.”
Three white boys attacked 12-year-old Amari Allen, held her hands behind her back, and cut her dreadlocks.
Second Lady @KarenPence, wife of VP Mike Pence, teaches part-time at #ImmanuelChristianSchool. We will protest in Virginia if this isn’t handled. pic.twitter.com/KwV5Pgn70Y
— Big Boss (@escapedmatrix) September 28, 2019
Monday, the girl and her family met with school officials to formally apologize.
“To those young boys and their parents, we sincerely apologize for the pain and anxiety these allegations have caused,” the family said in 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. 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.”
When the family went to officials with the allegations, FOX 5 D.C. reports the Christian school “asked them not to post about the incident on social media and instead encouraged them to pray about the situation so it could be handled in the “Godly way.” It lead many to speculate that an attempt at a cover-up may have been on the horizon.
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However, in stark contrast, an investigation was immediately launched, with security camera video showing that it would have been unlikely that the incident took place at the day or time that the young girl claimed.
“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,” the school said in a statement. “We recognize that we now enter what will be a long season of healing.”
Lakeisha Allen, the young girl’s aunt, told CNN, that the family is both “devastated” and “embarrassed.” Her parents say they will seek counseling on her behalf.
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