Philadelphia hoops player forced out of game due to hijab

PHILADELPHIA – A high school basketball player in Philadelphia says a referee forced her to leave a game because she was wearing a hijab.

Sixteen-year-old Nasihah Thompson-King says she was playing in a playoff game Friday when she was told she couldn’t continue with her headscarf on.

The Mastery Charter School Shoemaker Campus student says she was “embarrassed” and she never had an issue wearing her hijab in previous games.

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association has a league policy that requires approval for any head covering for medical or religious purposes. The association says Thompson-King’s coach neglected to fill out the required form before Friday’s game.

A form has since been completed to allow Thompson-King to play Wednesday.

Mastery Charter Schools is now calling on the PIAA to reverse its policy.