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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tTwin sisters say that for years, they were abused by coach Jason McCartney at Cheer Athletics’ Plano facility – and that owners and other coaches witnessed the abuse.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tTwin sisters say that for years, they were abused by coach Jason McCartney at Cheer Athletics’ Plano facility – and that owners and other coaches witnessed the abuse.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
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Twin sisters from Frisco were just days away from taking the stand<\/a> in a jury trial against their former competitive cheerleading coach, who they say molested them, but a last-minute bankruptcy filing has brought the case to a screeching halt.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cheer Athletics\u2013Plano, one of three North Texas gyms representing one of the largest All-Star level cheerleading organizations in the world, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sunday, citing \u201csignificant legal expenses.\u201d The filing came less than 24 hours before the company was expected to appear in a Travis County court.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Plano and Frisco gyms, along with the parent Cheer Athletics company, are named in a lawsuit filed by two former cheerleaders who say the organization failed to protect them<\/a> even after being made aware of sexual abuse allegations. According to the lawsuit, former coach Jason McCartney began abusing Hannah and Jessica Gerlacher in 2015.\u00a0The report details instances of groping, grooming and \u201cpushing up\u201d against the women while aroused. It also claims that Hannah was abused more severely than her sister because she\u2019d suffered a head injury that left her especially vulnerable. <\/p>\n The Gerlachers say they attempted to anonymously report McCartney to the U.S. All-Star Federation (which is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit), the cheer world\u2019s governing body. The lawsuit alleges officials \u201cburied\u201d the claims, <\/a>rather than investigating them, and allowed McCartney to continue interacting with minor athletes. McCartney has not been criminally charged. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tWill you step up to support Dallas Observer this year?\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWe\u2019re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If the\u00a0Dallas Observer\u00a0matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \u201cThe owners, they would be in the building [during practices],\u201d Hannah Gerlacher told the\u00a0Observer in 2022. \u201cOne time I was sitting on Jason McCartney\u2019s lap and making eye contact with Angela [Rogers, co-founder and owner of Cheer Athletics]. And I was just staring at her and it was just ignored, never mentioned. Like she didn\u2019t think that was a problem, the cute 15-year-old sitting on a 40-year-old man\u2019s lap.\u201d<\/p>\n The Gerlacher\u2019s attorney, Michelle Simpson Tuegel, said that a bankruptcy filing is a common strategy of defendants looking to avoid a jury trial because it initiates an automatic stay on the court\u2019s proceedings. Tuegel, who has represented clients in sexual abuse cases against the Boy Scouts of America and U.S. Gymnastics coach Larry Nassar,<\/a> said bankruptcy filings are typically reserved for cases involving \u201chundreds of claims\u201d against a defendant.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat is not the case here. And in the other cases where we\u2019ve had this happen, it wasn\u2019t done in the 11th hour, right before a jury trial,\u201d Tuegel said. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t call this strategic as much as a potential abuse of the bankruptcy process.\u201d<\/p>\n A statement published to the Cheer Athletics Facebook page<\/a> assured parents that, despite the filing, business would continue as normal.\u00a0The post assures parents that \u201cthe same familiar faces, coaches and teammates\u201d will still be seen at the North Texas gym.<\/p>\n That seems unusual, said Tuegel; not like the \u201cstruggling business\u201d that a bankruptcy filing might suggest.\u00a0She said the plaintiffs will attempt to move the case back to a jury trial, a decision that would ultimately have to be made by the bankruptcy court. The last-minute decision to file for bankruptcy signals to her that Cheer Athletics \u201cwanted to avoid a jury trial at all costs.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cWe made the strategic decision to do this for the purpose of reorganization after nearly five years of significant legal expenses,\u201d Cheer Athletics said in a written statement provided to the sporting outlet\u00a0Sportico.<\/a> \u201cWhile we remain confident in our legal position, this incredibly difficult decision will allow us to strengthen our foundation and continue serving our athletes now and for many years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n This is not the first time Cheer Athletics\u2019 North Texas leaders have faced accusations of wrongdoing. Rogers, the owner mentioned by Hannah Gerlacher, was named in a lawsuit filed after cheer coach Jerry Harris, who rose to prominence for his positivity on the Netflix show Cheer, was arrested for child pornography. Rogers was accused in the lawsuit of \u201ctipping off\u201d Harris<\/a> to the federal investigation into his behaviors, causing him to ditch his cellphone, which contained evidence. Harris is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence. <\/p>\n