Girl threatens to sue school district after not making cheerleading team

When head coach Caylen Berry hosted tryouts for her high school’s cheerleading team this summer, she knew there wouldn’t be enough slots for everyone. Leon High School in Tallahassee, where she coaches, had had a strong year: They’d been runner-ups in a state competition and were slated to compete at a national competition next winter.

So when one prospective member trying out fell twice during her audition, Berry had to turn her away — she wasn’t ranked well enough to make the award-winning team.

But the student, a rising senior whose name was not disclosed, thought differently. Her parent filed a complaint with the district and the Tallahassee Democrat reported the girl might sue if her tryout outcome isn’t reversed.

Coaches and cheerleaders on the team were concerned. Other schools in the same district had had some cheerleading decisions overturned in the past, the Democrat reported, and Berry said she was worried the same might happen to her team.

“They should not put an athlete on the team that doesn’t deserve to be on the team,” Berry told the Democrat. “A decision like this would question my integrity as a professional. It also questions the entire legitimacy of tryouts and cheerleading as a sport.”

District spokesman Chris Petley confirmed to the Democrat that the school district had received a parent complaint, though he did not elaborate on its content. The school’s principal, Billy Epting, told the paper he was “reviewing the various information” to decide the girl’s status on the team.

Ricky Bell, the school district’s director of student activities cautioned that the complaint filed by the girl’s parent had to be investigated, but that the district would coordinate with school officials before making any decisions.

“We work to do what’s in the best interest of the student and the school,” he said to the Democrat.

Berry, unintimidated by the legal threat, said coaches and some cheerleaders would consider quitting if the girl was allowed onto the team.

“This is just a thing the district does and thinks is OK,” Berry said. “I don’t know why the district feels the need to go behind the back of the coaches and the school.”

This story was originally published July 19, 2016 at 10:09 AM with the headline "Girl threatens to sue school district after not making cheerleading team."