Screenshot of the video [Courtesy of KUSA / Facebook]
Denver, Colorado - After a disturbing video of forcing a student into splits surfaced, the Denver police are investigating the incident as the girl forced into the split was reportedly injured.
In the video circulating on social media, a group of cheerleaders and the team coach pushed the 13-year-old girl's shoulders down repeatedly and grabbed her arms so she could not escape out of the splits during a summer cheerleading camp. The girl, later identified as Ally Wakefield, could be heard begging them to stop and screaming in pain. The whole ordeal was recorded by the teammates.
Wakefield's mother sent the video and an email to the Denver East High School's athletic director, urging them to investigate the incident. The school and the district did not take any action until KUSA, a Denver-based news channel, reported the incident, The local authorities have been investigating the case since the story made a headline and the child-abuse detectives were assigned to the case.
On August 23, Denver Public Schools Superintendent Tom Boasberg released a statement. In the statement, he said the school district will fully cooperate with the police and internal investigations. The responsible school staffs - principal Andy Mendelsberg, assistant principal Lisa Porter, cheer coach Ozell Williams, assistant cheer coach Mariah Cladis, and the Denver Public School's deputy general counsel Michael Hickman - had been placed on leave this week until further notice.
"We absolutely prohibit any practices that place our students' physical and mental health in jeopardy. We do not and will not allow any situation in which as student is forced to perform an activity or exercise beyond the point at which they express their desire to stop," Boasberg wrote, "With regards to certain videos, I cannot state strongly enough - as the superintendent of the school district and the father of two high school-aged daughters - that the images and actions depicted are extremely distressing and absolutely contrary to our core value as a public school community."
Kwak, Min Jung = abiel@ajunews.com
reporter
KwakMin-jung
abiel@ajunews.com
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