High school cheerleaders in Texas are suffering first-degree burns after a ‘punishment’ imposed by their own coach.
The head eighth-grade cheer coach at Evans Middle School in Lubbock forced the team to perform “bear crawls” and “crab walks” on a sweltering outdoor track on Wednesday.
“We told her our hands were burning, and she said she didn’t care,” one of the cheerleaders said Everything in Lubbock. “She let us get back on the track.”
The girls claim they were punished after performing a cheer at a school football game that the coach deemed “disrespectful” and did not want them to do.
Eighth-grade cheerleaders at Evans Middle School in Lubbock, Texas, suffer first- and second-degree burns after a ‘punishment’ imposed by their own coach
Their coach forced them into the punishment after the team performed a cheer during a school football game that the coach deemed “disrespectful” and did not want them to do
The girls’ parents cheered that their futures were in jeopardy if they did not complete the laps on the scorching hot track
She allegedly demanded that the girls get on the ground before making them crawl and crab for a full mile (four full laps around the track).
Some girls were unable to complete the punishment and quit after two rounds due to pain. Some even became physically ill.
When Angel Thompson, a mother of one of the cheerleaders, asked her daughter how her day was at school, the high school student put her stuff in the car, sat down and replied, “Mom, you want to know how my day went.” was in cheer?’
She then showed her mother her hands, which were covered in blisters, Everything Lubbock reported.
When one parent went to school that afternoon to check the track’s temperature, she noticed that it reached a whopping 125 degrees.
The girls were forced to perform the exercises over a distance of one and a half kilometers, that is, four laps around the track, but some girls stopped at the second because of the pain – some even became physically ill
Some girls complained that it hurt, but their coach responded that “she didn’t care” and forced them to continue
At least one of the girls had to be taken to University Medical Center to be seen in their burn unit
The parents also told the newspaper that their coach would have threatened the girls’ future careers if they did not complete the cruel and unusual punishment.
Although some girls were supposed to be examined by the school nurse, no calls were ever made to inform their families of the injuries.
Instead, the cheerleaders went home, where the parents were finally informed of their nightmare of a day.
The cheerleaders ended up coming home with first- and second-degree burns, at least one of which even had to be seen in the burn unit at University Medical Center.
‘It was malicious. It was intentional,” said a mother of one of the girls.
Angel Thompson, one of their mothers, became emotional in an interview as she recalled her daughter getting into the car after school and showing her mother her hands covered in burns and blisters.
The coach, who is also a teacher, was placed on administrative leave, but the parents have opened an investigation with police and hope to see criminal charges against her
The teacher has been placed on administrative leave, but the parents have opened a police investigation and are hoping for criminal charges.
Lubbock ISD released a statement following the incident, saying, “We are heartbroken over these events, and the safety and well-being of our students is our top priority.
“These types of incidents do not reflect the values of Lubbock ISD and Evans Middle School.
“We would like to express our deep concern and regret for the pain and suffering this has caused the students and their families.
‘No child should ever be exposed to harm in a learning environment, and we are doing everything we can to ensure incidents like this do not happen again.
“Our goal is to maintain a safe, respectful and supportive environment for all students.”