Melissa Martin sues university,
USA Cheer and former coachesPlaintiff says coaches bullied her into performing despite injuryMartin suffered three concussions leading to forced withdrawalA former collegiate cheerleader who suffered multiple brain injuries while on the cheer squad at the University of
California, Berkeley, has filed a lawsuit against the school, the sport’s national governing body and her former coaches for failing to implement concussion protocols, endangering her health and ultimately forcing her withdrawal from the university, according to a complaint filed Wednesday in Alameda county superior court.
Melissa Martin, who was a member of UC Berkeley’s cheerleading and stunt teams from April 2017 through February 2018, says her coaches bullied her into performing stunts even after she sustained her first serious concussion and that the school failed to take reasonable measures to prevent further injuries, court documents said. The suit alleges the defendants were negligent and violated California’s student athlete bill of rights and unfair competition law.