Coach Monica Aldama Amy Sussman/Getty Photos
The lawsuit accusing Monica Aldama of masking up alleged sexual assault has been dismissed.
“Immediately I’ve cried, I’ve laughed, I’ve felt unbelievable aid, however I even have been considerably consumed by disappointment and anger,” the Cheer star, 51, wrote in a prolonged Instagram publish on Friday, November 10. “This morning at 9:00 am, USA Cheer, the group that’s the nationwide governing physique of the game that I’ve given my coronary heart and soul to for many years, despatched my legal professional, Russell Prince, an electronic mail informing him that the allegations that have been made towards me in an April 26, 2023 lawsuit have been being dismissed and the criticism towards me at USA Cheer was being closed.”
Us Weekly confirmed in April that Aldama (together with director of athletics Michael Landers and Title IX coordinator Elizabeth Pilla) was named in a lawsuit for allegedly concealing a sexual assault of Navarro Faculty scholar — and a one-time member of Aldama’s squad — Madi Lane. Lane alleged that she instructed Aldama {that a} male teammate, Salvatore Amico, assaulted her however was urged by the coach to “not make this a giant deal.” Lane finally stop the group. Aldama, for her half, vehemently denied the claims.
Whereas the case towards Aldama, Landers and Pilla was dismissed in Might, USA Cheer didn’t conclude their very own investigation till November. The authorized case towards Amico and Navarro Faculty continues, per court docket paperwork obtained by Us.
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It didn’t take lengthy for Netflix viewers to begin rooting for the Navarro Faculty Bulldogs Cheer Group when Cheer debuted in 2020. Us Weekly is giving updates on Morgan Simianer, La’Darius Marshall, Gabi Butler and extra of your favourite cheerleaders. Netflix adopted head coach Monica Aldama and her squad for six episodes in season 1, […]
In her Friday publish, Aldama additionally shared the letter of dismissal she obtained. Aldama additionally revealed that she was suspended by USA Cheer originally of Might however didn’t obtain a listening to with the sports activities group till later that month when she and her lawyer “offered a wealth of proof” for her case.
Following the listening to, Aldama shared that an “outdoors investigator” was appointed to interview her inside 15 days. The Netflix persona claimed that she was by no means contacted by the investigator in that timeframe.
“I patiently waited for my alternative to be interviewed. Days became weeks and weeks became months,” she penned. “Sadly the interview was apparently too huge of an impediment to handle.”
As soon as the 15 days have been up, Adlama was in a position to return to teaching whereas “underneath supervision.” Nevertheless, Aldama was in a position to have a proper interview achieved six months later originally of November.
“The actual drawback is that in that six month delay, I used to be damaged, a shell of myself,” she stated on Friday. “Navarro Cheer members have been consistently attacked on-line. I used to be consistently attacked. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat and more often than not it was arduous to even breathe.”
Aldama concluded her announcement by sharing that the athletes and the coaches within the cheer neighborhood need to be heard and believed. She additionally referred to as for extra transparency from USA Cheer itself, including that the group failed her in her time of want.
Us has reached out to Aldama. Lane declined to remark.
The Navarro cheer group has confronted its justifiable share of scandals over time since they gained recognition from the Netflix sequence. Former cheerleader Jerry Harris was arrested in 2020 on fees of manufacturing of kid pornography after an FBI investigation. Whereas Harris, now 24, initially pleaded not responsible, he took a plea deal in 2022 and was sentenced to 12 years in jail.
When you or somebody you already know has been sexually assaulted, contact the Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
