The Illinois parents of a former high school cheerleader have sued the Community Unit School District 300 in Algonquin for negligence after their daughter suffered a concussion while practicing a stunt.
The incident occurred Aug. 28, 2019 when the cheer squad were working on a stunt in which two cheerleaders attempt to lift a cheerleader, the flier, to shoulder height or above their heads. In such situations, a spotter or “safety ring” of cheerleaders is supposed to encircle the base to catch the flier should she fall.
That safety ring was not present, leading the girl to fall and strike her head on the mat.
In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs alleged that their daughter had attempted “flyer stunts” during eight practices before the fall. In each of the previous practices, the girl failed to complete the stunt but never hit the ground because there was a safety ring in place to catch her, according to the lawsuit.
“Given this cheerleading group’s inability to successfully complete the stunt previously and knowing that (she) fell before, the cheerleading coaching staff demonstrated a conscious indifference to (her) safety by failing to have a safety ring of girls present,” according to the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs claim that as a result of the concussion, their daughter suffers chronic headaches, visual disturbances, and cognitive difficulties. In addition, they note that light and noise can trigger headaches for their daughter which causes her to wear therapeutic glasses to shield her from light.
