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Cheerleading sex abuse overview:
- Who: A former cheerleader sued Varsity Brands LLC, the organizer of national cheerleading competitions, and a North Carolina cheer gym.
- Why: The plaintiff says Varsity Brands perpetuated a culture of sexual abuse of young athletes.
- Where: The cheerleading sex abuse lawsuit was filed in a North Carolina federal court.
A former cheerleader sued the organizers of national cheerleading competitions, alleging they perpetuated a culture of sexual abuse of young athletes.
The anonymous plaintiff John Doe 1 filed the complaint against Varsity Brands LLC and its subsidiaries, U.S. All Star Federation, USA Cheer and gym Cheer Extreme Raleigh on Oct. 26 in a North Carolina federal court, alleging violations of sexual abuse and organized crime laws.
The plaintiff says he is a former cheerleader who competed in Varsity competitions and cheered for Cheer Extreme Raleigh. He claims unnamed coaches and a choreographer sexually abused him as a teen.
Varsity Brands aware of abuse, cheerleading sex abuse lawsuit alleges
Varsity Brands knew about the abuse but did nothing to stop it, the plaintiff alleges.
“The scheme to anoint specific gyms and coaches and disregard safety protocols was part of an elaborate plan by the Varsity defendants to create a pipeline of young athletes, each of whom represented a significant stream of revenue for the Varsity defendants worth billions of dollars,” the cheerleading sex abuse lawsuit states.
The former cheerleader says he started cheering for Cheer Extreme Raleigh when he was 14 or 15. After he became involved in the organizations, multiple coaches and a choreographer propositioned him for sex, he alleges.
The plaintiff says he eventually quit the team when he could “no longer withstand the Cheer Extreme culture.”
He claims he was not the only young person affected by grooming and sexual abuse within the cheerleading world and that the culture of sexual abuse was allowed by Varsity Brands and others in the community.
Varsity controls 80% to 90% of the competitive cheerleading market for what’s known as all-star cheerleading and is connected to the governing body of competitive cheer, U.S. All Star Federation, as well as the membership organization USA Cheer, the cheerleading sex abuse lawsuit explains.
When cheerleaders make allegations against Varsity, they’re often deemed not credible with the accused allowed to “quietly exit” the program and relocate to another facility, the plaintiff alleges.
He’s suing under the federal Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse Act and for racketeering, unfair and deceptive trade practices, negligence, assault, battery and fraud.
The plaintiff is seeking damages, fees, costs and a jury trial.
In related news, last year six women swimmers filed lawsuits against USA Swimming, the national governing body for competitive swimming. They claimed the organization failed to protect them from coaches who sexually abused the women when they were teens and preteens.
Have you been involved with Varsity Brands? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
The plaintiff is represented by J. Walton Milam III and Whitaker B. Rose of Rosenwood Rose & Litwak PLLC and Bakari T. Sellers, Jessica L. Fickling and Alexandra Benevento of Strom Law Firm LLC.
The cheerleading sex abuse lawsuit is Doe v. Varsity Brands LLC, et al., Case No. 5:22-cv-00430, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
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