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Coach Monica Aldama Amy Sussman/Getty Images
The lawsuit accusing Monica Aldama of covering up alleged sexual assault has been dismissed.
“Today I have cried, I’ve laughed, I’ve felt incredible relief, but I also have been somewhat consumed by sadness and anger,” the Cheer star, 51, wrote in a lengthy Instagram post on Friday, November 10. “This morning at 9:00 am, USA Cheer, the organization that is the national governing body of the sport that I have given my heart and soul to for decades, sent my attorney, Russell Prince, an email informing him that the allegations that were made against me in an April 26, 2023 lawsuit were being dismissed and the complaint against me at USA Cheer was being closed.”
Us Weekly confirmed in April that Aldama (along with director of athletics Michael Landers and Title IX coordinator Elizabeth Pilla) was named in a lawsuit for allegedly concealing a sexual assault of Navarro College student — and a one-time member of Aldama’s squad — Madi Lane. Lane alleged that she told Aldama that a male teammate, Salvatore Amico, assaulted her but was urged by the coach to “not make this a big deal.” Lane ultimately quit the team. Aldama, for her part, vehemently denied the claims.
While the case against Aldama, Landers and Pilla was dismissed in May, USA Cheer did not conclude their own investigation until November. The legal case against Amico and Navarro College continues, per court documents obtained by Us.
It didn’t take long for Netflix viewers to start rooting for the Navarro College Bulldogs Cheer Team when Cheer debuted in 2020. Us Weekly is giving updates on Morgan Simianer, La’Darius Marshall, Gabi Butler and more of your favorite cheerleaders. Netflix followed head coach Monica Aldama and her squad for six episodes in season 1, […]
In her Friday post, Aldama also shared the letter of dismissal she received. Aldama also revealed that she was suspended by USA Cheer at the beginning of May but didn’t receive a hearing with the sports organization until later that month when she and her lawyer “provided a wealth of evidence” for her case.
Following the hearing, Aldama shared that an “outside investigator” was appointed to interview her within 15 days. The Netflix personality claimed that she was never contacted by the investigator in that time frame.
“I patiently waited for my opportunity to be interviewed. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months,” she penned. “Unfortunately the interview was apparently too big of an obstacle to manage.”
Once the 15 days were up, Adlama was able to return to coaching while “under supervision.” However, Aldama was able to have a formal interview done six months later at the beginning of November.
“The real problem is that during that six month delay, I was broken, a shell of myself,” she said on Friday. “Navarro Cheer members were constantly attacked online. I was constantly attacked. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat and most of the time it was hard to even breathe.”
Aldama concluded her announcement by sharing that the athletes and the coaches in the cheer community deserve to be heard and believed. She also called for more transparency from USA Cheer itself, adding that the organization failed her in her time of need.
Us has reached out to Aldama. Lane declined to comment.
The Navarro cheer team has faced its fair share of scandals over the years since they gained popularity from the Netflix series. Former cheerleader Jerry Harris was arrested in 2020 on charges of production of child pornography after an FBI investigation. While Harris, now 24, initially pleaded not guilty, he took a plea deal in 2022 and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
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