Story Archive

Save the Cheerleader, Save the World

When a TV news report in Denver, Colo., showed Denver East High School Cheer Coach Ozell Williams apparently forcing cheerleaders to do the splits at summer “cheer camp,” even though they were screaming in pain and begging him to “please stop!”, the school took quick action: it fired him. “What happened was wrong,” said Denver Public Schools Superintendent Tom Boasberg. “Under no circumstances should a child be forced into physical or emotional harm.” Yet the videos of the eight girls screaming from pain were taken two months before; school administrators allegedly knew about them the entire time, and had done nothing despite at least one mother’s complaints. Principal Andy Mendelsberg, Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Lisa Porter, Assistant Cheer Coach Mariah Cladis, and Michael Huckman, the district’s deputy general counsel, have all been placed on leave, pending investigations by the district — and by police, who say the videos potentially depict child abuse. (RC/Denver Post) ...How to tell society hasn’t grown up yet: when everyone in power ignores screams of “Please stop!” because only females are complaining.