Jacob Beltran
San Antonio Express-News
(TNS)
A renowned Texas college cheer program featured on a Netflix reality show, whose head coach has made numerous public appearances, is accused of covering up a sexual assault of a “rookie” cheerleader through intimidation and failing to have proper training for reporting such cases.
Navarro College, roughly 60 miles southeast of Dallas, and head cheerleading coach Monica Aldama are named as defendants in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in the Northern District of Texas. Other defendants include Athletic Director Michael Landers, Title IX coordinator Elizabeth Pillans and cheerleader Salvatore “Salvo” Amico.
The lawsuit alleges that on Sept. 2, 2021, the plaintiff and a fellow female cheerleader had invited Amico to their dorm about 4 a.m., where another male cheerleader was waiting.
A while later, the male and female cheerleader were in bed together when Amico got on the victim’s bed. As he attempted to remove her clothes, the woman screamed, trying to stop him.
The lawsuit alleges that Amico, who was also a “rookie” cheerleader, sexually assaulted the woman as she kept screaming. Eventually, the suit states, she was able to turn her body and push him away, and told him he needed to leave.
The next day, the plaintiff told several team members what occurred. At some point, the team’s unofficial captain pulled the plaintiff aside and told her to “drink it off and get your mind off it” because “that’s what Navarro girls do; they drink. We don’t tell anyone. We just keep it to our self.”
Navarro College denies any allegations of wrongdoing and said it is “prepared to vigorously defend itself in court.”
“The safety and welfare of students is always of utmost priority,” the college said in a statement. “Navarro College prohibits sexual harassment and sexual misconduct against all students and is deeply committed to providing an educational environment free from sex discrimination and sexual assault. The college has established robust policies and procedures for reporting, investigating, and responding to all allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault. Navarro College takes every report of sexual harassment and sexual assault seriously and acts swiftly to provide an appropriate response to protect all students.”
Navarro College declined further comment, citing active litigation.
The cheer team captain, identified in the lawsuit as Madi Brum, told the woman not to tell coach Aldama because there was no reason to stress her out, the suit alleges. Brum later assigned two cheerleaders, identified as Joshua Stamper and Stace Artigue, to escort her everywhere and make sure she did not report the assault.
When the plaintiff was not being watched, she called a friend and asked him to visit her. The friend and several others exchanged words with Artigue, who later reported that the friend assaulted him. The friend himself also reported Amico to campus police.
Sometime later, the plaintiff alleges, she and her friends were followed by several veteran cheerleaders. The veterans pointed guns at the victim and her friend and threatened to kill them for reporting the assault, court records state.
The plaintiff states that she then called Aldama and that the coach interrupted her as she started to discuss the alleged assault.
“Let’s not make this a big deal. I want the best for you, and I will help you cheer wherever you want,” the lawsuit quotes Aldama as saying.
After the plaintiff quit the cheer team, Aldama reportedly told her, “If you keep quiet, I’ll make sure you can cheer anywhere you want.”
Aldama has been featured on Ellen DeGeneres’ daytime talk show, and she was a contestant on the 29th season of “Dancing with the Stars.”
The lawsuit alleges that when the plaintiff reported the assault to campus police, they discouraged her from following through, telling her that this type of thing happens all the time and that nothing will happen because nothing ever does.
The incident was also reported to the college’s Title IX office, but Pillans allegedly said they did not have the proper documents to report a sexual assault. Pillans is also described in the lawsuit as having discouraged the plaintiff from filing a report, saying that the nearest registered nurse capable of administering a sexual assault nurse exam was in Waco or Dallas.
Court records allege that Pillans said a public hearing does more harm to the accuser than good.
When the plaintiff’s mother later called the Title IX office for an update, she was told there was no record of her sexual assault, simply allegations. The plaintiff now attends a different university and is on its cheer team.
The plaintiff said in the court record that she has been “blackballed” from other nationally ranked programs, and she is seeking compensation for pain, suffering, mental anguish and emotional distress, as well as economic and punitive damages.
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