NFL Cheerleaders Take Action Against Rule Books That Dictate Their Behavior
They come out onto the field with big smiles, filled with so much energy and enthusiasm. The job of a cheerleader is to get everyone in the sports arena revved up for the big game. They provide a morale boost to athletes and excite the audience, but who supports the cheerleaders?
A New York Times report this week provides a new look into the continued scrutiny and regulations placed on cheerleaders by NFL teams. Though, for years, details about what NFL cheerleaders must endure have been made public, and it's not a pretty picture. In fact, stories shared by former cheerleaders can be quite upsetting.
Some women have spoken out against their former employers; many other current and former cheerleaders, however, remain silent for a variety of reasons. While people have been alarmed by the parameters of the contracts some cheerleaders are required to sign, which list dos and don'ts for behavior, what has brought these contracts to court has often been the earnings, which fall below minimum wage, stipulated for these women taking part in a multi-billion dollar industry.
NFL cheerleaders are often required to represent their team as their employer sees fit, even when they're not on the clock. In January, Bailey Davis posted a picture of herself on her Instagram that her employer — the New Orleans Saints — allegedly didn't approve of. That same month, she was fired from the team's cheerleading squad, the Saintsations.
"I didn't think of it as a sexy photo," Bailey wrote in a recent Cosmopolitan essay. "I had it taken for my portfolio, to show at future dance auditions. It was a full-body shot because I wanted to show off my physique, my athleticism. I liked that you could see a little bit of bicep. As far as baring skin, it wasn't any different from our Saintsation uniforms. When I was fired, the human resources director told me I had a dirty face in the photo."
Bailey has since filed a complaint against the New Orleans Saints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on the grounds that she was discriminated against because of her gender. The New York Times reports that Bailey is alleging her employer has stricter standards for the female cheerleaders than for the male players.
"At the appropriate time and in the appropriate forum, the Saints will defend the organization's policies and workplace rules," Leslie A. Lanusse, a lawyer who is representing the Saints, said in an email to The New York Times. "For now, it is sufficient to say that Ms. Davis was not subjected to discrimination because of her gender."
According to several NFL cheerleader handbooks that have been leaked to the media, the standards and rules for women are shockingly different than for male players. And most are enforced in their day-to-day life, even when cheerleaders are not on the field.
In 2014, The Los Angeles Times shared the Oakland Raiderettes handbook that detailed extensive rules for cheerleaders, including "American culture" etiquette, which said that cheerleaders must properly introduce themselves with "a smile, eye contact, and a handshake." The handbook states: "A handshake should last about three seconds, be firm, and be web to web." They also instruct cheerleaders how they must behave while at dinner: "If you don't like your meal, try a little of everything and strategically move the rest around your plate." And, "Gently unfold your napkin and place it on your lap. Fold it almost in half and place it with the fold side towards your body. If you need to leave the table, place the napkin on your chair, and don't forget to say, 'Excuse me.'"
A class-action lawsuit was filed against the Oakland Raiders by Lacy T. — a then 27-year-old Raiderette who didn't complain about the strict behavioral rules, but rather "underpaying wages, withholding wages for months and forcing cheerleaders to pay expenses the team forces them to incur," The Los Angeles Times reports. Later that year, Lacy T. and 89 other cheerleaders won their cases and were awarded $1.25 million.
Another handbook revealed in 2014 — this time for the Buffalo Bills cheerleaders — instructed women on the team (referred to as "Jills") on how to "properly" clean their vaginas: "Never use a deodorant or chemically enhanced product. Simple, non-deodorant soap will help maintain the right PH balance. Clean/rinse razor often while shaving. Especially after going to a new 'area.' When menstruating, use a product that [sic] right for your menstrual flow." The handbook also said that cheerleaders were forbidden from talking about politics, religion, about their social lives, and not able to use slang words such as "like" or "dude." Former Bills cheerleaders also sued their employer for paying them less than minimum wage. That case is still in litigation, but the Jills team was suspended shortly after the lawsuit was filed.
In 2015, the Cincinnati Bengals cheerleaders sued their employer for low wages as well. The lawsuit showed that cheerleaders were making $2.85 an hour. For comparison, Bengals owner Mike Brown is worth $924 million, Deadspin reports. Cheerleaders in that class-action lawsuit were awarded $255,000 in back pay.
The issues aren't unique to the NFL. News anchor Len Elmore danced for one season for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies in 2012 and tells Teen Vogue that the basketball league team's dance squad also had a strict contract — though she says it wasn't as strict as those in the NFL — but she didn't find it impeding on her personal life.
"I understood the bigger picture," the 31-year-old says. "When you are a dancer for a team, you are representing the team. I don't want to say that we are at their disposal, but they place you where they see fit. They want to make sure the life you have behind the scenes represents them when you're on the court."
She also added that signing a contract means that you have to follow the rules — which for her included not being able to talk to players — and that something as simple as changing your hairstyle might in itself be breaking the contract.
"[Being a dancer] is not a big investment for the team," Len tells Teen Vogue. "I felt like an accessory. The players are the headliners. So if you can't do what you are told, they can get another girl to fit your spot."
Amid the scrutiny of how they treat women cheerleaders, for the first time in history, the NFL has hired two male cheerleaders (not team stuntmen, but bonafide cheerleaders). Quinton Peron and Napolean Jinnies will be cheering for the Los Angeles Rams in the 2018 season.
"They really just fit the bill to be a Los Angeles Rams cheerleader," L.A. Rams cheer captain Emily Leibert told People. "They are intelligent, they are eloquent, they are more than qualified to be ambassadors out in the community. They bring so much energy and there's something so magnetic about their performance, you really can't take your eyes off them."
It remains to be seen if Quinton and Napolean will be held to the same standards and rule book as the women they'll cheer alongside.
Teen Vogue has reached out to the NFL teams mentioned in this article and will update this story if comment becomes available.
Related: A Teen Boy Had His Mom File a Complaint Over Cheerleaders' Skirts
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