Buffalo Bills Cheerleaders: Lawsuit Claims Forced ‘Jiggle Tests’ And Sexual Harassment

On Tuesday, five former Buffalo Bills cheerleaders sued their team over a pay structure which saw them working hundreds of hours for free, and allegedly being groped and subjected to degrading “jiggle tests” to see if their bodies were firm enough.

This happens to be the third such lawsuit brought against a National Football League team by cheerleaders this year. Cheerleaders from the Oakland Raiders and the Cincinnati Bengals also have suits pending for similar allegations.

The details of the lawsuit are that the Buffalo Bills cheerleaders, the Buffalo Jills, are considered, incorrectly, to be independent contractors; this greatly affects the pay due to them. It also violates the state’s $8 per hour minimum wage law.

Two of the five cheerleaders held a news conference along with their attorney, Frank Dolce. Dolce said: ”We are Bills fans. We definitely want our organization and other organizations in the NFL to respect the rights of these cheerleaders.”

It seems, at least according to the lawsuit, that cheerleaders in general get a pretty raw deal, both financially and otherwise, when it comes to their chosen profession. Until now, there has been an unspoken understanding that cheerleaders do what they do for the love of the game and not for the money.

As well as not being paid for most practices or games, the Buffalo Bills cheerleaders are expected to make at least 20-25 appearances a season. They also have to fork out $650 for their uniforms and receive no recompense for travel and other expenses.

The additional allegations made by the cheerleaders include ”demeaning and degrading treatment.” This involves being required to wear bikinis at events and even being “auctioned off like prizes,” and subjected to ”degrading sexual comments and inappropriate touching.”

According to the cheerleaders, the company for which they worked controlled everything from their hair to the color of their nail polish, and even what they were allowed and not allowed to post on Facebook and other social media sites.

One of the Buffalo Bills cheerleaders. Alyssa, said to reporters: ”Everything from standing in front of us with a clipboard having us do a jiggle test to see what parts of our body were jiggling, And if that was something that she saw, you were getting benched.”

What will happen as a result of the various lawsuits brought this year by cheerleaders depends on the courts.

The law will have to decide what is and is not acceptable in the world of cheerleading.