A Texas middle school cheerleading coach was placed on leave after allegedly forcing her team to crawl on a hot track as punishment for a cheer the coach didn’t approve of. Thirteen eighth-grade girls on the cheer squad suffered first and second-degree burns from the blazing hot track, with temperatures reaching over 125 degrees. The punishment consisted of mile-long bear crawls and crab walks, causing some girls to become sick and unable to complete the exercise. Despite complaints from the cheerleaders, the coach reportedly threatened their future in cheer if they didn’t finish the punishment.
After returning home, the girls had first and second-degree burns on their hands, with some receiving medical attention at the Texas Tech University Medical Center burn unit. Parents were outraged that the school never informed them of their daughters’ injuries sustained during the punishment. The coach, who is also a teacher in the Lubbock ISD, was placed on administrative leave while police opened an investigation into the incident. The school district expressed deep concern and regret for the pain caused to the students and their families, stating that student safety is their top priority.
The coach allegedly punished the cheerleaders for performing a cheer she deemed disrespectful during a football game, leading to the cruel exercise on the hot track. Some of the girls had to seek medical attention due to the burns, and parents expressed shock and anger at the coach’s actions. The school district stated they were investigating the incident with the utmost urgency to ensure that such incidents do not happen again. In another incident in 2022, a Texas public school faced criticism when students suffered burn injuries after being forced to do exercises by their physical education teacher as punishment for not running laps.
The incident at Evans Middle School sparked outrage among parents and the community, with many calling the punishment cruel and unnecessary. The coach’s actions were seen as intentional and malicious, leading to first and second-degree burns on several girls’ hands. Despite complaints from the cheerleaders about the intense pain, the coach reportedly forced them to continue the punishment, threatening their future in cheer if they didn’t comply. The school district expressed regret over the incident and reiterated their commitment to ensuring that students are not harmed in a learning environment.
The girls on the cheer squad were subjected to a punishment that caused physical harm, resulting in burns and distress for the students and their families. The coach’s decision to make the girls crawl on a hot track as punishment for a cheer routine was met with shock and anger from parents and the school community. The school district stated that they were fully committed to investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and ensuring that such incidents do not occur again. The coach was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation as police looked into the painful practice that left the cheerleaders injured.
The incident at Evans Middle School shed light on the dangerous consequences of using physical exercise as punishment in school settings. The coach’s actions resulted in physical harm to several students, leading to first and second-degree burns that required medical attention. Parents were upset that the school failed to inform them of their daughters’ injuries, and the community expressed outrage over the cruel punishment inflicted on the cheerleaders. The school district emphasized its commitment to student safety and stated that incidents like this should never happen again, promising to address the matter with urgency and thorough investigation.
