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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A lawsuit alleging rampant sexual abuse of underage athletes at a competitive cheerleading gym in South Carolina has been amended to name six other coaches as defendants and three other plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs – now seven women and two men – said in a revised federal lawsuit on Thursday They were sexually abused by coaches at Rockstar Cheerleading and Dance in Greenville, in the northwest corner of the state. Lawyers for the plaintiffs claim the gym sexual abuse dates back 20 years and that there may be more than 100 victims who have not come forward.
One of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, Bakari Sellers, likened the case to Larry Nassara former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor, is serving at least 40 years in prison after admitting to molesting some of the nation’s top gymnasts over the years.
None of Rockstar’s coaches have been charged, and the Associated Press has not released their names. One of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, James Bannister, said earlier this month that state and federal law enforcement agencies were investigating gyms and other cheerleading venues and confiscating computers, cellphones and other evidence. The agencies asked lawyers not to identify them, he said.
According to the lawsuit, the abuse ranged from rape and forced oral sex to molesting and forcing children as young as 13 to send nude pictures of themselves to coaches. The lawsuit also details how the coaches provided alcohol and marijuana to students in their homes and hotel rooms during cheerleading games.
The allegations first focused on the gym’s founder, Scott Foster, who was found dead in his car on August 22. The coroner determined he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
His widow, Kathy Foster, announced earlier this month that the rock star cheerleading and dancing would be closed “indefinitely”.
“While this was a difficult decision, I believe it was the best option under the circumstances,” Foster said in a statement Local NBC affiliate WYFF“I will always be very proud of each of our amazing athletes who have worked hard to build a successful legacy for the past 15 years. I ask for the protection of my children and those who have been personally impacted during this difficult time. privacy.”
The amended lawsuit details several instances in which it alleges that athletes were abused outside of South Carolina at events sanctioned by Varsity Spirit, which hosts the games, and the All-Star Federation, the country’s cheerleading governing body.
School Spirit President Bill Seely said in a Sept. 1 statement The allegations detail “abhorrent criminal, predatory behaviour” and are “shocking”. The Air Force said in an Aug. 30 statement that the group was “appalled to learn of allegations of potential abuse.” The statement declined to comment on ongoing developments in the law enforcement investigation and reiterated that members should report any allegations.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs said they expected to file more lawsuits against other perpetrators at other gyms across the country.
“We are talking about serious and repeated abuse reported to everyone, including the Greenville County Sheriff’s Department,” attorney Bacary Sellers said in a statement. “For Varsity Spirit, USASF and Bain Capital to come Said, these survivors are not important. Their inspections did. They did nothing to stop the abuse at the time, and they are not doing anything now.”
James Pollard is a member of the Associated Press/US State Capitol Journalism Initiative. US report is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercover issues.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. all rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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