Hampshire College Students Assaulted Basketball Players over Braids, Alleged Cultural Appropriation

Apparently, wearing braids as a non-minority is offensive and is “cultural appropriation” at Hampshire College. A Hampshire College student is accused of assaulting members of a visiting college basketball team from Maine over one player wearing braids:

On Friday, a Hampshire College student was in a Massachusetts court to face charges that she assaulted a member of the women’s basketball team of Central Maine Community College when, at a January game at Hampshire, the woman refused to take out braids that she had in her hair — braids that Carmen Figueroa, the Hampshire student facing charges, and an unidentified additional Hampshire student demanded be removed because they are an example of cultural appropriation.

The Daily Hampshire Gazette obtained court records in the case, and described the police report on what happened after the Maine athletes declined to remove their braids: “When the players did not comply and began to leave the building, Figueroa allegedly initiated a fight towards one of the players. At the same time, another unknown Hampshire College student pulled the hair of a visiting women’s basketball player, causing her to fall to the ground, according to court documents. While the player was on the ground, police allege that Figueroa kicked and stepped on the player, causing injury.

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