Cheerleading coach in Kansas resigns over “hairy” problem

OTTAWA, Kan. (AP) – A white woman has resigned as the head cheer coach at a private Kansas university after a Black cheerleader said she was kicked off the squad over an argument about her nearly 3-foot-long braids.

The Kansas City Star reports that Casey Jamerson, said in a statement that continuing to coach at Ottawa University would likely be “a distraction” for the team, staff and community.

Twenty-year-old Talyn Jefferson previously told The Star she refused to remove a hair bonnet earlier this month during cheerleading practice because she worried her long braids could hit a teammate in the face.

A junior from Lawrence, she said she was kicked out of practice and off the squad.