The Buccaneers have joined the Raiders, Bengals, Bills and Jets on the receiving end of a lawsuit filed by one of their cheerleaders.
The Tampa Tribune reports that Manouchcar Pierre-Val, who spent less than a year on the team’s cheerleading squad, has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the team of violating federal and state wage laws. The allegations are familiar from previous suits as Pierre-Val says she was paid less than $2 an hour, which meant she “wasn’t being compensated for the majority of the time.”
Pierre-Val’s suit was filed as a class action, giving other cheerleaders for the team the option of joining the suit against the team. Pierre-Val’s attorney said she has spoken to other members of the Bucs’ cheerleading squad who expressed interest in adding their names, but none have done so at this point.
The Buccaneers had no comment, citing their policy not to comment on either pending litigation or “compensation practices for any members of our organization.” The league has also resisted comment on “team litigation issues” since the lawsuit against the Raiders started the recent rush of court actions.