Kentucky Wildcats fire cheerleading coaches after hazing, nudity probe

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Ryan Gaydos | Fox News




The University of Kentucky, which has won 24 national cheerleading titles in the last 35 years, fired all of its coaches on Monday following an investigation into allegations of hazing and nudity.

Head coach Jomo Thompson and assistants Ben Head, Spencer Clan and Kelsey LaCroix were let go after a three-month probe into the program revealed they failed to oversee off-campus events that included hazing, alcohol use and public nudity.

“A commitment we make and renew every day at the University of Kentucky is that the success of our students is at the center of everything that we do. But for that sentiment to be more than words, we must always act in ways that honor that commitment — especially when we discover rare instances where those who supervise and guide our students don’t meet the standards of integrity we expect of each other. This is one of those times,” university President Eli Capilouto said in a statement.

“The University of Kentucky has built the nation’s premier collegiate cheerleading program. But regrettably, the integrity of the program has been compromised by inappropriate behavior by some squad members on off-campus trips and by lax oversight by the program’s coaches and adviser.”

The investigation also found “lax oversight and poor judgment” by longtime primary adviser T. Lynn Williamson, Kentucky’s principal deputy general counsel. He retired days after learning of the investigation and was ordered to have no contact with the squad.



The investigation discovered that the activities occurred in the summer of 2019 during a retreat at a Kentucky lake and cheerleading camp in Tennessee. Some cheerleaders reportedly performed gymnastics routines that included hurling teammates into the lake “while either topless or bottomless within view of some of the coaches.”

Alcohol use was also prevalent during the retreat and coaches failed to confiscate the items, according to the report. Some members needed medical treatment for intoxication. Some cheerleaders were also urged to perform lewd chants and wear outfits without underwear. No sexual assault or sexual misconduct occurred during the trips, the investigation found.

“The adviser and the coaches failed to stop a culture of hazing, alcohol use, and public nudity at off-campus activities where they were present,” Eli N. Monday, the school’s executive vice president for finance and administration, said in a statement. “Our students deserve more responsible leadership and the University of Kentucky demands it.”

The probe included interviews with more than 60 squad members.

The athletic department will now take control of the cheerleading program and be led by associate director Sandy Bell. The search for a new coach will be led by Bell.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[DemonGeminiX]

Kids can't be kids anymore.

I'd hate to be the kid that snitched. She's gonna have a rough time if she doesn't drop out or transfer.

[Muddy]

Vids and/or nsfw pics of the event or it didnt happen.

[Goofy]

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Emily Alford - Jezebel




The University of Kentucky has fired four coaches of the school’s 24-time national championship-winning cheerleading team following a months-long investigation into hazing and sexual assault allegations.

Head coach, Jomo Thompson, and assistant coaches Ben Head, Spencer Clan and Kelsey LaCroix, were fired following an investigation spurred by a parent complaint filed in February. University officials say the team’s coaches allowed program alumni to supply the team with alcohol on a cheerleading retreat. Further allegations stated that team members were encouraged to get naked on a boat provided by one alumni, but the investigation found that no evidence that coaches were aware of this pressure. However, over the course of the retreat, several team members required medical attention after drinking. According to the New York Times, cheerleaders on the retreat were also encouraged to perform dangerous stunts while naked:

“During a team retreat at Lake Cumberland, cheerleaders were hurled from a dock into the water while topless or bottomless in a gymnastics routine known as basket tosses, according to the investigation.”

In a report, the school’s Office of Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity said that several sexual assault and harassment allegations were investigated but not corroborated, including allegations that “some team members were touched in a sexual manner without their consent, that male team members compared sizes of their genitalia, and that students were forced to engage in oral sex.” However, the investigation did find that cheerleaders were told not to wear underwear and asked to perform “lewd chants” as part of initiation at a cheer camp in Tennessee.

Over the course of the investigation, the University of Kentucky’s faculty program advisor of forty years, T. Lynn Williamson, also retired from his primary job as the university’s deputy general counsel as investigators publically admonished Williamson for allowing these dangerous and degrading activities to persist. The university is now in the process of assigning a new advisor.

[PorkChopSandwiches]

I too would like the video....for science