Five former Texans cheerleaders have filed a lawsuit against the team, it was announced in a press conference on Friday.
Hannah Turnbow, Ainsley Parish, Morgan Wiederhold, Ashley Rodriguez, and Kelly Neuner claim they were subject to low pay, sexual harassment and bullying while working for the Texans.
"I had no idea that once I became a Houston Texan cheerleader all of my dreams would slowly be shattered," Wiederhold said on Friday.
The lawsuit claims the women were underpaid and were not compensated for public appearances, performances and other job-related tasks.
The group is represented by star attorney Gloria Allred, who has served as representation for clients in many high-profile cases, most recently many of the women accusing Bill Cosby and Donald Trump of sexual assault.
Former @HoustonTexans #cheerleaders demand better pay; allege sexual discrimination. #KHOU11 #Houston #htx @GloriaAllred pic.twitter.com/fgHIjxTWAa
— Matt Dougherty (@MattKHOU) June 1, 2018According to Allred, the women were paid $7.25 an hour, which is less than the compensation for the parking attendants at NRG Stadium.
The suit also claims there was a hostile work environment for the cheerleaders.
"I was attacked by a fan at a game leaving abrasions on my shoulder," Turnbow said. "My attacker was not approached, nor was he removed from the game. I was told to just suck it up."
The women appeared on The Today Show with Allred on Monday to discuss the issue.
"It's very, very uncomfortable on a daily basis,'' Parish said. "They body-shame you to your face. They are extremely bullying tactics … They instill this fear in you that they hold your entire success and opportunity in their hands."
"They make it seem like it's just such a dream on their social medias," Turnbow said. "You don't sign up for something and think it's gonna become what it was."
The Texans defended the cheerleader program in a statement released after the lawsuit was filed.
"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," the statement from Amy Palcic, vice president of communications for the Texans, reads. "We are constantly evaluating our procedures and will continue to make adjustments as needed to make the program enjoyable for everyone."
"These are women who have competed to win their jobs and have proven themselves over and over," Allred argued. "How is it possible that cheerleaders are paid so little and not paid at all for much of their work?"
Allred plans to deliver a letter straight to Roger Goodell on Monday urging him to review the NFL's cheerleader policies.
"We're not arguing with the concept of whether there should be cheerleaders or not," she said. "But we are asserting that if there are cheerleaders, they should not be exploited in their wages or in any of the terms of their working conditions."
"It's never too late to do the right thing. It's never too late to seek justice," Allred also said. "And no Houston Texans cheerleaders or former cheerleaders are going to suffer in silence any more."
