LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Fayette County Public Schools has initiated an investigation into allegations of racial equity, inclusivity, and diversity within the district cheer programs.
The investigation comes after the Lexington-Fayette Branch of the NAACP publicly called on the district to address long-standing parent concerns.
The local chapter of NAACP says it has received multiple parent complaints from Fredrick Douglass and Henry Clay High School cheerleading parents regarding ongoing issues with a lack of equity, racial discrimination, classism, lack of inclusion, and separatism experienced by Black cheerleaders.
After trying to go through district protocols for complaints, the NAACP says raising awareness publicly was a last resort.
"We heard about this months ago. We encouraged families to go through the protocols that are presented by the district. Families have been doing that, some getting more responses than others, but mainly the response has been really just a like a brush to the side or claims that there is no racial discrimination when we're sitting here hearing the stories directly from the directly-impacted youth," said Vice President Matthew Williams.
Parents have alleged that the district and KHSAA athletic rules were enforced differently depending on race, lack of inclusion in booster clubs for Black parents, and civil rights violations.
They claim the treatment has become a culture that's gone on for years.
Gatewood, who is also a board member for the local NAACP chapter, says efforts to meet with district leadership for mediation, per district protocol, have been prolonged and not prioritized.
"The things they're telling us they're going to address and deal with, they do not and have not," said Gatewood.
Her daughter is a cheerleader for Fredrick Douglass High School.
The NAACP is calling on the district to "show good faith and effort" by responding in a timely manner to meet with the parents, actively participate in listening to their concerns, and find solutions.
Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Demetrus Liggins confirmed in an emailed statement that they are investigating:
"Fayette County Public Schools is committed to creating equitable and inclusive environments where all students are able to actively participate in academic and extracurricular opportunities. As such, we take any and all allegations like those raised by the NAACP seriously and will take swift action to investigate this matter and take timely, deliberate, and unified action as necessary."
Their Stories
A 16-year-old Fredrick Douglass cheerleader who dreamed of pursuing college cheer is giving up after she says harassment and segregation traumatized her.
"It's very segregated. For the most part, like Caucasian American people stay with Caucasian American people. African American people sit with African American people," the student said.
The student said she has been verbally harassed and purposely left out by her teammates.
A mother of another Fredrick Douglass cheerleader is pulling her daughter out of the program after allegations of bullying and harassment. She alleges at one point her daughter was left at Disney World during a team trip.
"She was excited to join in the beginning, but as she experienced the racism and getting treated unfairly, she did not want to cheer anymore and I felt like that's not right, because that's her passion," said the parent.
When LEX 18 asked about the investigation policy and timeline, a spokesperson said the statement is all the district can share and to circle back next month.
