HOUSTON – More than a week after an unidentified ex-Houston Texans Cheerleader took the NFL franchise to court for underpayment and mistreatment, five more former members of the squad are pursuing legal action on similar allegations with a high profile California-based attorney handling their case.
Gloria M. Allred of the law firm Allred, Maroko & Goldberg in Los Angeles filed a lawsuit on behalf of Hannah Turnbow, Ainsley Parish, Morgan Wiederhold, Ashley Rodriguez, and Kelly Neuner in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas on June 1.
The plaintiffs, whom the defendant employed as cheerleaders at various times, claim “life as a Houston Texas Cheerleaders is not all what it is represented to be,” alleging they earned “the same wages or less than employees at your local McDonald’s” despite putting in full-time hours. The Texans purportedly pay cheerleaders $7.25 an hour.
“Complaints regarding discrepancies in paychecks were ignored and threats of dismissal or consequences for voicing complaints were enough to silence even the staunchest of critics,” court papers say.
The women further allege “they were subjected to intense scrutiny, harassment, threats of physical assaults, actual assaults by spectators, and cyberbullying by the coach and her staff,” as well as “were also forced to make a number of appearances (including out of state travel) without compensation.”
These claims echo those detailed in a suit filed by Harris County resident P.G.G. late last month.
“The discrimination is obvious,” the original petition says. “All the cheerleaders are women. While male teammates earn millions, these women are exploited, earning about ten cents a minute.”
Consequently, the plaintiffs seek unspecified monetary damages.
Kimberly M. Spurlock and Misty Hataway-Cone of the law firm Spurlock & Associates, P.C. in Houston are also representing the complainants.
Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas Case No. 4:18-CV-1797