College Kentucky Cheer Dismisses 4 Coaches Following Hazing Investigation

[Cheeranswers]

I read an article today on Kentucky Sports Radio that had comments from a ton of current and alumni team members that said this account of the events is completely inaccurate. They posted videos of said basket tosses, fully clothed and not under the influence. Have there been any other teammates backing this accusation up? I'm not on twitter so I'm honestly curious, because even some alumni I know that are not on super great terms with the program for other reasons said this was wholeheartedly NOT their experience.

yeah athletes posting basket tosses saying “look I wasn’t naked!!” is super weird in my opinion. Just because you weren’t in that specific video, doesn’t mean it never happened. I believe 11 people said they saw it, including 1 coach who said she was aware it was happening, and 1 coach saying he physically saw them topless but looked away because he “wanted to believe it didn’t happen”

 

[coachrah]

People, this is why there are whistleblower laws. You don't want the crazy, disgruntled parent to get you fired? Don't allow illegal and/or hazing things to happen on your watch. There was illegal drinking and nudity happening at a team sponsored retreat. What was UK supposed to do once it was brought to their attention? Shrug and say the mom is just mad her kid didn't make the team? THAT would have been a PR nightmare.

Now as for kids being kids....I am old now, but once upon a time I was an incoming freshman on a no-name college cheer team. I was already in awe and worried about fitting in. Had they been doing topless and pantless basket tosses at a team building event, I would have been mortified, but also, worried that I needed to join in to fit in. That makes it wrong, especially since it is happening at what I assume is a mandatory team building retreat. If the team members have to be there, then what happens has to be appropriate.

And while we seem to forget this minor detail when discussing college students, the legal drinking age is still 21. That means all non-seniors on that team are illegally drinking. Again, not something you can allow to happen at a mandatory team event.

I don't care that they are college students and it supposedly happens all the time. I don't care that the mom was pissed that her kid didn't make the right team. You absolutely have to remember that as a coach you are the responsible party to what those kids are doing. (And yes, college students are still kids...) Can you imagine the uproar if a video had gotten out of the tosses?

There was illegal drinking and nudity at a team sponsored event. If you are coaches of that team, the buck stops there.

At the end of the day

If I were here I wouldn’t be worried about the explicit threats. I’d be worried about the doxing that is happening to her and her daughter as we speak. Their basic info has already been leaked. From there it’s not hard to find their employers, churches, community organisations, etc. that they might be involved in and malign them. If you really want to hurt someone, you don’t respond to their s****y FB posts. You show that FB post to their boss.

My point is that internet vigilantes are going to make her life hell, right or wrong. You don’t take down a nationally renowned coaching staff without pissing off at least one tech-savvy fan.

This parent is an education professional. More than likely schooled in all Title 9, Clery Act and whistleblower protection. Why is everyone assuming she is the only one who sounded the alarm? The report has several admissions by athletes. I am more concerned about the victim shaming. There is already no true reporting system in Cheer. No true penalties assessed by any kind of governing body. Why would anyone step forward with the internet blowing up with threats of this kind? And so the party continues. Whether this mother is “over involved” or not she is allowed to PARENT. She has exposed a culture that quite frankly is due for an overhaul. Not every person on that team is a Senior which just on the alcohol provision alone is a problem in the daily life of collegiate administration. Administration understands that 80% of sexual assaults and other “accidents”are alcohol related. Can every coach know what their athletes are doing 24/7? Nope. Can a coach discuss and present guidelines for a safe and compliant space and still get blindsided. Yup. There are multiple layers of liability. It is quite unnerving to coach with the “all eyes on “ from the social media lens but all the more logical to apply vigilance. But to suggest that this woman and her daughter need to fear retaliation from people who don’t understand compliance is a cultural problem. More than likely that she knows where the law affords her protection and additionally more likely she could care less that outsiders/insiders consider her the culpable party.

 

[catlady]

I read an article today on Kentucky Sports Radio that had comments from a ton of current and alumni team members that said this account of the events is completely inaccurate. They posted videos of said basket tosses, fully clothed and not under the influence. Have there been any other teammates backing this accusation up? I'm not on twitter so I'm honestly curious, because even some alumni I know that are not on super great terms with the program for other reasons said this was wholeheartedly NOT their experience.

I've seen many posts stating the same even though the investigation reports differently. My thoughts on those posts: Most of us have witnessed incredibly talented and well liked people get fired for a momentary lapse in judgment, and that's what makes these types of situations so difficult. It's truly hard when people get it right 99.9999% of the time and then get taken down in that .0001% moment. It's really hard when traditions/chants/events have gone on for years, and then seemingly out of the blue, they hit the fan. More than anything, it's really hard for these athletes and alum to see these coaches get fired, ultimately, for their actions past and present.

 

[quitthedrama]

I've seen in the mom's Facebook page that the family of the athlete involved is now claiming that she's getting threats and getting harassed.

She has made false claims before.
When you so publicly play the games that you are playing (her recent Facebook posts) and you have taken down a well known and loved institution people are going to respond. The mother quite frankly is getting everything she asked for (not saying threats are acceptable but we all know what social media culture is like) and has set her adult daughter up for any harassment she is getting. The adult daughter now needs to speak up for herself or she will continue to be paired with her mother’s behavior.

 

[cheermomforever]

I read an article today on Kentucky Sports Radio that had comments from a ton of current and alumni team members that said this account of the events is completely inaccurate. They posted videos of said basket tosses, fully clothed and not under the influence. Have there been any other teammates backing this accusation up? I'm not on twitter so I'm honestly curious, because even some alumni I know that are not on super great terms with the program for other reasons said this was wholeheartedly NOT their experience.

I great friend who was on UK and USA team for many years is so upset at this accusation...........he strongly feels this is all BS. BUT it only takes one stupid wrong incident to cause an issue! But this mom has sued schools and daughter has had issues with multiple AS programs......

 

[luv2cheer92]

I great friend who was on UK and USA team for many years is so upset at this accusation...........he strongly feels this is all BS. BUT it only takes one stupid wrong incident to cause an issue!

Here's my thing. If it had just been one person on the team saying all these things, I would be more likely to believe those calling BS. But since there were so many on the team that verified the accusations in the report, I'm much more likely to believe that.

 

[coacha]

Here's my thing. If it had just been one person on the team saying all these things, I would be more likely to believe those calling BS. But since there were so many on the team that verified the accusations in the report, I'm much more likely to believe that.

Agreed.
Heck, Williamson himself said something about seeing a girl doing a topless toss but not having his glasses on.

 

[UCFKnights07]

i could just think of a lot of scenarios as to how this went down. but i cant picture an entire team and whatever higher up coaching staff standing on a dock watching teammates coerce others into going nude and not stepping in. Kids goofing off while coaches step away, yes i could easily see this occurring for a split moment, but i just dont know...

 

[cheerbowgirl101]

i could just think of a lot of scenarios as to how this went down. but i cant picture an entire team and whatever higher up coaching staff standing on a dock watching teammates coerce others into going nude and not stepping in. Kids goofing off while coaches step away, yes i could easily see this occurring for a split moment, but i just dont know...

I feel like as hard as it is to imagine, it’s definitely possible. It doesn’t take the strongest morals or athlete moral-building coaches to make a national championship team, sadly. I have no idea what the coaching staff at UK was like, but no one hasn’t to think for more than a moment for another example of coaches(in any sport, at any level) being great coaches but not such good role models.

 

[CoachTamara]

Reading the report leaves me totally on the fence to be honest. I feel like they pushed the athletes into "confessions" per say, but what they did WAS wrong. It's all very strange. The timing of it all gives me an ick vibe, and that mom is just.... ugh. I have no words for a woman like that.

My vote for a coach (since nobody asked) would be Emily Sawyer. You need someone to be an example? She's it. She's alumni, she's smart, knows cheer, and is clean and sober. I'm sure her actual career would get in the way, but let me dream ok.

 

[icequeen]

Reading the report leaves me totally on the fence to be honest. I feel like they pushed the athletes into "confessions" per say, but what they did WAS wrong. It's all very strange. The timing of it all gives me an ick vibe, and that mom is just.... ugh. I have no words for a woman like that.

My vote for a coach (since nobody asked) would be Emily Sawyer. You need someone to be an example? She's it. She's alumni, she's smart, knows cheer, and is clean and sober. I'm sure her actual career would get in the way, but let me dream ok.

Or Brian Elza since he knows the program. I know he is working for Varsity so total conflict of interest and his wife was also a former UK cheerleader. He sent plenty of kids into that program as a coach so I vote him or Kelly (can’t remember her last name from the show). I think she was coaching at ACE Birmingham at some point.

 

[CoachTamara]

Or Brian Elza since he knows the program. I know he is working for Varsity so total conflict of interest and his wife was also a former UK cheerleader. He sent plenty of kids into that program as a coach so I vote him or Kelly (can’t remember her last name from the show). I think she was coaching at ACE Birmingham at some point.

Ohhhh I actually didn’t even think of Brian Elza. I actually love that.

 

[fierceeflyeer]

Well this is interesting. Can't say I'm surprised though, I'm sure the entire program is devastated.
Petition Get Jomo, Ben, Kelsey and Spencer Coaching at Kentucky again!! Get Thomas in advisor seat! Change.org

 

[ACEDAD]

Or Brian Elza since he knows the program. I know he is working for Varsity so total conflict of interest and his wife was also a former UK cheerleader. He sent plenty of kids into that program as a coach so I vote him or Kelly (can’t remember her last name from the show). I think she was coaching at ACE Birmingham at some point.

Kelly Dupree Bolden. She cheered at ACE before college at UK.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[CheerKatie08]

Hey y’all it’s been a minute- came back for this thread. Sad to hear this news for all involved. UK Cheer is such an incredible program filled with some of the most amazing athletes, coaches, and alumni I’ve been lucky enough to know throughout the years.

My prediction for who will fill the coaching position:
- Leighton Clarke head coach
- Blake Johnson assistant coach

Leighton is an obvious choice IMO. An alumni of the program, member of the Team USA coaching staff, with extensive experience working for Varsity. He’s basically Tony Nash’s right hand man and has worked with Jomo on V!Roc so I think the program would be in really good hands with him.

If they’re looking for someone with experience running a spirit program- my dream would be to see either Tony Nash, Bill Mayo, or Darlene in that spot but I think it would be a tremendous loss for any of their programs if they uprooted to coach UK.