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A Tennessee celebrity cheerleading coach has been suspended after two teenage male athletes accused him of sexual and emotional abuse in a lawsuit filed against cheerleading brands, including Premier Athletics.
Dominick “Nick” Frizzell, a Premier Athletics cheer coach and former athlete at the University of Tennessee, is accused of “emotional, physical and sexual” exploitation of “young athletes,” according to the lawsuit filed by the victim’s mother, referred to as Mary Doe.
Frizzell, who was called a “Varsity cheerlebrity” in the lawsuit, is alleged to have let one of the 15-year-old boys, named John Doe 1, smoke and perform oral sex on him in April and May.
“What would have happened is tragic and we are heartbroken for all victims of abuse,” USA Cheer executive director Lauri Harris told DailyMail.com. Sexual abuse and misconduct in all forms is reprehensible and has no place in sport or society.
“USA Cheer will continue to work with the entire cheer community and all relevant agencies to rid it of bad actors and hold those responsible to account.”
The lawsuit alleges that Frizzell was allowed to commit the horrific acts under the supervision of Premier Athletics manager Susan Traylor, who is also listed as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Dominick “Nick” Frizzell, Premier Athletics cheer coach and former athlete at the University of Tennessee, has been charged with “emotional, physical and sexual” exploitation of “young athletes,” the lawsuit said.
Frizzell (above), called a “Varsity cheerlebrity” in the lawsuit, allegedly let one of the 15-year-old boys, named John Doe 1, smoke marijuana and perform oral sex on him
Premier Athletics manager Susan Traylor (pictured) would have let Frizzell commit the heinous acts without punishment
Frizzell’s plans with the underage boys reportedly began no later than January 2022 when the cheercoach “started sending sexually explicit messages and photos of himself to John Doe 1, including photos of himself in his underwear.”
The cheer coach also insisted that John Doe 1 send him pictures back.
“He made it feel like it was normal and it was okay,” John Doe told The everyday beast.
A month later, John Doe 1 was in touch with a fellow teammate who also claimed he received inappropriate texts from Frizzell.
After allegedly having oral sex with Frizzell in May, John Doe 1 later switched gyms.
In June, Traylor became aware of Frizzell’s behavior with underage athletes after an anonymous whistleblower exposed him.
According to the lawsuit, Premier Athletic’s Traylor and Frizzell were ordered not to contact John Doe 1’s mother about the allegations. Frizzell was subsequently notified of a misconduct filed against him with USASF in July.
Frizzell took the letter and sent it to John Doe 1 to boast that he was “not permanently banned” and that Traylor told him he would not be fired. The coach then sent threatening messages to the minor about “checking out” the first reporter.
According to The Daily Beast, the cheer coach has been “formally fired” from the University of Tennessee cheerleading squad.
Frizzell’s plans with the underage boys began in January 2022 when the cheer coach began “sending sexually explicit messages and photos of himself to John Doe.”
Frizzell became aggressive towards the whistleblower, boasting at the time that he was not being fired
Mary Doe said she was not aware of the ongoing allegations until September and is surprised that the cheer organization never contacted her during the open investigation involving her son.
“I’m angry we had to do this,” Mary Doe told The Daily Beast. “I’m angry that to even move forward, expose and make sure something happens to the people who completely screwed this up and failed to protect my son, it has to be a public situation. It’s a necessary evil that this should happen.’
Meanwhile, John Doe 2 is also on the lawsuit list. The then 14-year-old met Frizzell in 2018 when the coach was 19 years old. Both were part of the Premier Athletics cheerleading squad.
The two were friends on social media, but Frizzell didn’t insist on meeting John Doe 2 until two years later. Frizzell would send nude photos to the minor on Snapchat, urging them to do the same. Later, they engaged in other oral sex in addition to other sexual acts for years.
“When Defendant Frizzell turned 21, he told Plaintiff John Doe 2 that he could get in trouble for having sex with Plaintiff John Doe 2. Still, the behavior continued,” the lawsuit said.
“Defendant Frizzell and Plaintiff John Doe 2 engaged in oral sex and other sexual activity dozens of times, sometimes in the homes of relatives or apartments of mutual friends.”
Among the cheer agencies named in the lawsuit are Varsity Brands, Varsity Brands Holding Company, US All Star Federation, USA Federation) Of Sport Cheering, Charlesbank Capital Partners, Premier Athletics, Susan Traylor and Dominick Frizzell.