6th-Grader Falsely Accused 3 White Classmates at Christian School About Attack

Last week, a sixth-grade student at Immanuel Christian School in Springfield, VA , accused three white boys of holding her down and cutting her dreads during recess.

“I was about to go down the slide, and the three boys came up and surrounded me,” 12-year-old Amari Allen told several media outlets on Thursday. “They were saying my hair was nappy and I was ugly and I shouldn’t have been born.”

Media coverage of the story went viral, partly due to the fact Karen Pence, the wife of Vice President Mike Pence, has taught part-time at the school as an art teacher for 1st – 5th grades.

Allen’s family filed a police report, demanding that her alleged attackers should be charged with assault and expelled from the school.

According to the Washington Post, on Monday the girl’s family issued an apology to the boys, the school, and the community.

“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. “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,” the statement continued. “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.”