She says she was too terrified at the time to report the abuse.īut last year, she says, she came forward and filed a report with cheerleading's governing body, the U.S. In the latest suit, filed in late December, a former cheerleader says a coach at the CheerForce Simi Valley gym in Moorpark, Calif., gave her drugs and alcohol, and had sex with her when she was 15 years old. "Similar to other sports which have had their reckoning, this is a reckoning for cheer nationwide," says one of those attorneys, Bakari Sellers. The attorneys who filed the suits say they expect to file even more in other states as plaintiffs continue to come forward with cases that span decades. Of the dozens of defendants named, two have been criminally charged. The suits, filed in civil court, accuse some of cheerleading's top institutions of conspiracy for failing to protect minors and seek compensatory and punitive damages. In all, 12 lawsuits on behalf of 21 plaintiffs allege a culture of sexual abuse, drugs and pornography in competitive cheerleading. Similar suits have also been filed in six other states, naming five gyms, 15 coaches and two choreographers. Since that first federal civil lawsuit in South Carolina was filed, Rockstar has been hit with three more.
NPR has confirmed his death but does not know whether his suicide was related to the federal investigation.ĭHS handles child pornography but won't comment on the case.
The suit says the owner killed himself in late August after learning he was under federal investigation by the Department of Homeland Security. It shuttered in September after a civil lawsuit accused the owner of sexually abusing minors and allowing several coaches to do the same, including the coach the mother says abused her then-13-year-old. Varsity Brands President Bill Seely called the accusations devastating.Nearly a decade later, Rockstar Cheer and Dance is closed.
"I hope the survivors are seeking and receive the support they need. "I am heartbroken by the recent allegations made by current and former athletes from Rockstar Cheer and other cheer gyms across our community," she said in a statement released this week. Several state and federal agencies have refused to tell news outlets whether they are involved.įoster's wife, Kathy, promised to cooperate with "all involved" to make sure athletes can safely learn and grow. He said the investigating agencies asked lawyers not to identify them. State and federal police are investigating Foster's Rockstar Cheer and other cheerleading outlets, seizing computers, cellphones and other evidence, Bannister said. All Star Federation, which is an organizing and governing body for competitive cheerleading across the country Bain Capital, which bought Varsity in 2018, and others. The suit also names Varsity Brands, which runs cheerleading competitions the U.S. "We have video of Scott Foster on Snapchat with beer bongs drinking with his underage cheerleaders," Sellers said at a news conference this week.
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