Heather Curtis
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON (WMAL) – The family of a black girl who claimed white classmates pinned her down and cut her hair issued a mea culpa after she admitted she made up the story.
Monday the 12-year-old student at Immanuel Christian School in Springfield admitted the story that had people throughout the nation condemning her classmates as racists was a lie. She orginally said the three white boys called her hair nappy and ugly and then pinned her down and cut it.
Her story made national news at a time when racial tensions are high around the country. She and her family even went on network news shows condemning the boys and describing their pain.
Monday Amari Allen’s family issued a statement apologizing to the boys and the school community.
“To those young boys and their parents, we sincerely apologize for the pain and anxiety these allegations have caused,” the Allen family wrote.
The family went on to say they would take responsibility for their actions but hope people can forgive them in time.
The head of the school, Stephen Danish, issued his own statement Monday confirming the story was fake.
“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,” Danish said.
The family and Danish both talked about how now is a time to heal.
Below is the statement from the Allen family:
“To those young boys and their parents, we sincerely apologize for the pain and anxiety these allegations have caused. 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. We know that it will take time to heal, and we hope and pray that the boys, their families, the school and the broader community will be able to forgive us in time.”
Below is the statement from head of the school, Stephen Danish:
“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. 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. This ordeal has revealed that we as a school family are not immune from the effects of deep racial wounds in our society. We view this incident as an opportunity to be part of a learning and healing process, and we will continue to support the students and families involved. We will also continue teaching what we’ve taught for more than 40 years: that the love of God is for all people, and as His children we should demonstrate that love equally to all people regardless of their background, what they believe, or how they behave.”
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