The entire University of Kentucky cheerleading coaching staff was fired by the university last week over their failure to prevent an extreme hazing tradition that involved nudity and sexually-explicit chanting. Now, 850 alumni have called on university officials to reverse their decision.
According to a report by ESPN, University of Kentucky cheerleading alumni are condemning the university over their recent decision to fire the entire cheerleading coaching staff over an extreme hazing ritual that involved nudity and sexually-explicit chanting. The University of Kentucky cheerleading squad has won 24 of the last 35 Division I cheerleading championships.
Breitbart News reported this week that an internal University of Kentucky investigation found that coaches were present during an annual hazing ritual. Cheerleaders were asked to stand up on a table and sing a song with sexually explicit lyrics. The cheerleaders were then asked to remove their tops.
More than 850 former Kentucky cheerleaders signed a letter that condemned the university’s decision to fire the coaches. “Our group is unanimous in its support of T. Lynn, Head Coach Jomo Thompson and Assistant Coaches Ben Head, Spender Clan and Kelsey LaCroix,” the statement read. “And though what is ‘alleged’ to have happened with the current squads is regrettable, we support them too, because we believe no person should be defined by their mistake.”
On Thursday, the Lexington Herald-Leader published a column that argued that the University of Kentucky “acted too swiftly” in firing the coaches.
Eric N. Monday, the University of Kentucky’s executive vice president for finance and administration, said that the decision to terminate the coaches was appropriate. “The adviser and the coaches failed to stop a culture of hazing, alcohol use and public nudity at off-campus activities where they were present,” Monday said. “Our students deserve more responsible leadership and the University of Kentucky demands it.”
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