*A Black cheerleader at Cumberland Valley High School in Pennsylvania is suing the school district after allegedly being forced to act as a white teammate’s “pet” during a cheerleading trip in Florida.
The incident, which reportedly occurred during the UGA National High School Cheerleading Championships in February, involved the 16-year-old being made to crawl on all fours while teammates took photos and videos, the Miami Herald reported. The recently filed lawsuit claims violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the student’s 14th Amendment rights. It also accuses a coach of pressuring her to stay silent about the incident.
Per the Herald: “Coaches “did everything in their power to take away (her) enjoyment of the sport solely because of her race,” and it started when she joined the team in the summer of 2023, the lawsuit said,” the outlet writes.
According to the lawsuit, the student faced repeated discrimination, including being told by a coach that she didn’t fit the “cheerleader-like” image, despite earning an award for her exceptional tumbling skills.
She was also tasked with filming the competitions, which excluded her from many team photos. In instances where she did appear, she was cropped out or obscured in online posts.
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Here’s more from the Herald:
When getting on a bus to go to a football game, the Black student was made to wait to get on the bus until her white teammates were “boarded and seated,” according to the lawsuit. “This call back to the Segregation Era was enforced by coaches and the other cheerleaders,” according to court documents. This act was witnessed by school faculty and officials, the complaint said.
The lawsuit further asserts that the “pet” incident is just one example of the racism the student has encountered at her school.
The specific damages sought in the 40-page filing remain unclear. The 16-year-old student and her parents are suing the Cumberland Valley School District and multiple administrators, and they are requesting a jury trial.
We hope the young sista wins her case!
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