Video of confrontation over dreadlocks at university prompts investigation

SAN FRANCISCO -- A video of a black college student confronting a white student about his hairstyle is being shared across the world and now San Francisco State University is promising an investigation.

In the video a woman accused another student of appropriating her culture. The student with dreadlocks spoke with ABC7 News Tuesday night. He did file a police report, but he's not the one looking to press charges.

The woman in the video has been identified as Bonita Tindle and the man with the dreadlocks is Cory Goldstein.

The video showed the following conversation:

Goldstein: "You're saying I can't have my a hairstyle because of your culture? Why?"

Tindle: "Because it's my culture."

"At the time it just really felt like she was demeaning me and demoralizing me," Goldstein said.

Goldstein said he'd be happy to have a respectful discussion with anyone about his hair, but he has no intention of changing his look.

"It's something I've had since I was 17-years-old and something that's part of who I am. I believe they are powerful and helped amplify myself and helped me connect to this world," Goldstein said.

The university says it's investigating the video and confirms the student who took the video has requested charges be filed against Tindle.

Reaction among students is mixed.

"You can't grab the other person. If they don't want to talk, they don't have to," said Charles Fortune, a San Francisco State University student.

"She was trying to make a point and it seemed to me the other person was not willing to engage with her," said Calder Marchman, an SFSU student.

"It is a free country, you got freedom of speech, expression. If he wants to wear dreadlocks I don't see what's wrong with that," said Grahm Thrush, a SFSU student.

Multiple attempts to reach Tindle have gone unanswered, but one student, Mahelet Gezchew, said she knows her.

"She's a hardworking student like the rest of us and she's like getting backlash and all these people are talking bad about her and it's not OK," Gezchew said.

Goldstein says he will not press charges, but he would like an apology.