Houston Texans give tone-deaf response to ex-cheerleader suit
Earlier this week, former Houston Texans cheerleaders filed suit against the team. The Texans responded, proving a lack of understanding.
Earlier this year, the New Orleans Saints found themselves in hot water. One of their former cheerleaders sued them for discrimination. Even though Bailey Davis was not the first, it struck a nerve with other former cheerleaders.
This week, former Houston Texans cheerleaders announced they would be suing the team.
Unsurprisingly, their suit is incredibly similar to Davis’. ESPN outlined some of the reasons why they were suing:
"“…accuses the franchise of paying the women less than the $7.25 per hour they were promised, not compensating them for making public appearances or performing other tasks related to their jobs and creating a workplace where the women were threatened with being fired for voicing any complaints.”"
Looking at the case, there are a lot of questions about the Texans and how they decide to treat their cheerleaders. Most notably, how are cheerleaders getting paid such a low wage? As someone who works in retail, I’m getting paid more than that and not dedicating nearly as much time. It’s incredibly disheartening.
The other issue is their treatment of the cheerleaders as employees. Cheerleaders are athletes just the same as football players. They deserve to be given equal respect and equal treatment on all issues. Allowing fans to attack them, body-shaming them and not respecting them is completely unacceptable.
The Houston Texans should be embarrassed. As they’re an NFL team, they released a vague statement addressing nothing,
"“We are proud of the cheerleader program and have had hundreds of women participate and enjoy their experience while making a positive impact in the local community”"
If anything, it proved how tone-deaf the team is.
Considering the NFL’s recent anthem policy change, it’s clear they aren’t even on the same wave-length as players. Why would NFL teams or the league in general stick up for cheerleaders? Hopefully, with others stepping forward, change will come.
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The second case in only a few months calls for change. Cheerleaders should be paid fairly and treated with respect. Simply put, that’s what they’re looking for. Even if ex-cheerleaders didn’t get it, they’re blazing the trail for current and future cheerleaders.