Two former Missouri high school cheerleaders filed a federal lawsuit claiming their constitutional rights were violated when they were thrown off the squad for allegedly cyber-bullying other students, The Joplin Globe reported on Monday.
The suit, filed in the Western District of Missouri against officials from Seneca High School and the Seneca R-7 School District, claims the cheerleaders were denied public education, free speech and due process rights guaranteed under both the state and U.S. constitutions.
The two cheerleaders, who are not identified, claim they suffered alienation from fellow students and cheerleaders. Because of this, they allege they are being deprived of their right to “full educational benefit and learning.”
A lawyer for the school board defended school officials by explaining that extracurricular activities such as cheerleading are not protected under the due-process clause of the U.S. Constitution.
