The Village

FITSNews director of research Jennifer Wood sits with cheer abuse survivor Victoria.  Hear her reflect on the abuse she suffered, how it's changed her life, and why she decided to come forward with her story.This episode marks the end of season one of the Cheer Incorporated podcast, which will return following FITSNews' coverage of Alex Murdaugh's murder trial.  We have more great interviews and episodes in production and look forward to season two.  Thank you for your support.  EP1: Shattered TrustEP 2: A Secret CultureEP 3: Building The EmpireEP 4: The Last to KnowEP 5: Zero ConsequencesEP 6: The Groomer's PlaybookEP 7: Standing Up Alone - Twins' Mom Kristen Shares Her StoryEP 8: SilencedEP 9: The VillageEP 10: The WhyEP 11: Army of EnablersEP 12: Our Hands Are TiedEP 13: Twins' Mom Interview Pt 2: A Path ForwardEP 14: Cheer Attorney Amy Gaffney InterviewEP 15: Carolina to California: More Allegations of Abuse

The Cheer Incorporated scandal landed on the west coast following the filing of a federal lawsuit in the central district of California – the latest formal allegations tied to the culture of sex abuse within the American cheerleading industry.This episode of Cheer Incorporated breaks the latest allegations down - and delves into the inner working of cheer industry governing bodies which have been alleged to have failed to prevent the abuse of minor athletes in a growing number of states. EP1: Shattered TrustEP 2: A Secret CultureEP 3: Building The EmpireEP 4: The Last to KnowEP 5: Zero ConsequencesEP 6: The Groomer's PlaybookEP 7: Standing Up Alone - Twins' Mom Kristen Shares Her StoryEP 8: SilencedEP 9: The VillageEP 10: The WhyEP 11: Army of EnablersEP 12: Our Hands Are TiedEP 13: Twins' Mom Interview Pt 2: A Path ForwardEp 14: Cheer Attorney Amy Gaffney Interview

The Cheer Incorporated team traveled to Charleston S.C. to speak with employment attorney Amy Gaffney about her role in  recent  Cheer sexual abuse lawsuits.  Gaffney's insights into the Ohio suit, as well as her ability to provide a defense attorney's perspective on the pending litigation, make this conversation one you won't want to miss. 

The Cheer Incorporated podcast production team had the pleasure of speaking with “The Twins’ Mom” Kristen in late October, 2022. Kristen’s sons are victims of so-called “cheerlebrity,” Jerry Harris.  In our first conversation with Kristen  she recounted her and her son's story of standing up - even when that meant standing up alone.  In this episode she shares advice for current survivors, as well as her opinion on where the cheerleading industry must go to right its systemic wrongs.  Kristen has generously offered her support to survivors and their loved ones.  She can be reached on Twitter @_kristenerika_Previous Episodes:EP1: Shattered Trust EP 2: A Secret Culture EP 3: Building The Empire EP 4: The Last to KnowEP 5: Zero ConsequencesEP 6: The Groomer's PlaybookEP 7: Standing Up Alone - Twins' Mom Kristen Shares Her StoryEP 8: SilencedEP 9: The VillageEP 10: The WhyEP 11: Army of Enablers

In this episode of Cheer Incorporated host Jennifer Wood and producer Dylan Nolan dig into the recently filed Ohio lawsuit, detailing both the allegations of abuse that follow the pattern set forth in previous suits, as well as cheer industry governing body USASF's response, which initially seemed appropriate - but devolved when attorneys were brought into the mix.Stay tuned for an exciting announcement at the end of this week's show. 

Please Note: This episode contains graphic content that may be disturbing or traumatizing to some audiences.  Listener discretion is advised.In this episode the we dig further into the enabling culture exemplified by the harrowing stories of new victims in new states.  Sound familiar? Almost formulaic? This is one of the key dynamics of the Cheer Incorporated scandal … a culture which refuses to take credible allegations of abuse seriously and then refuses to hold abusers accountable even when there is clear and compelling evidence of their conduct.This is why my ongoing conversation with Professor Amos Guiora is so vital. Because when you hear the phrase, “No action was taken”, that is the definition of enabling behavior.

I recently read the book Armies of Enablers: Survivor Stories of Complicity and Betrayal in Sexual Assaults by Professor Amos Guiora. Professor Guiora teaches law at the University of Utah. Armies of Enablers encompasses his extensive research on institutional complicity, enabling culture, and sexual assaults. What I loved the most about this book is that it was written from the perspective of the survivors of sexual assault. I was elated when Professor Guiora agreed to be a guest on Cheer Incorporated. Because after reading his book and learning about his groundbreaking research, I strongly believe he may have found that common factor — or maybe more aptly the fatal flaw– that we are missing as a society to better protect our child athletes.  He may have found the “why” - which is the key to finally stopping the cycle of abuse. Or at least slowing it down.

“It takes a village.” As a parent, I developed a greater understanding of the implied trust we place in other parents - a truly sacred trust which holds that they are watching out for your kids as much as you are watching out for their kids.The systemic failures of the cheerleading industry have shaken my trust.Does the industry just not care?  Or is enabling abusers simply too profitable? In this episode we delve into who the USASF hired to  "minimize the risk of child sexual abuse and misconduct."

The Cheer Incorporated team has been Murdaughed ... for those of you who aren't FITSNews core audience members, allow me to explain.   This expansive case involves Alex Murdaugh, a disgraced and disbarred attorney from a small town called Hampton, South Carolina, was indicted in July for the murder of his 52 year old wife, Maggie Murdaugh and 22 year old son, Paul Murdaugh at their home on June 7, 2021. The brutal murders alone would have made headlines, but the web of crime and corruption that started unraveling in the aftermath elevated the story to new heights. As of today, Alex Murdaugh has been indicted on 90 separate charges and accused of stealing almost $9 million dollars from his clients over the past 15 years. This week, the first criminal trial tied to this long running story kicked off in US District Court in Charleston, South Carolina when the trial of alleged Murdaugh co-conspirator and former CEO of Palmetto State Bank began. Federal prosecutors in the office of U.S. attorney Adair Ford Boroughs began laying out their case against disgraced former banker Russell Laffitte, who is accused of being a key cog in Alex Murdaugh’s many financial fleecings of former clients. Laffitte is facing one conspiracy count, one count of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud and three counts of misapplication of bank funds in connection with his alleged role in the scandal. The 51-year-old Hampton, S.C. native is also facing multiple criminal conspiracy charges at the state level. I’d give you a full recap, but if you aren’t familiar I can assure you that a 30 second elevator pitch will never cover the absolute madness of the Murdaugh case. If you love true crime and wild cases, trust me when I say you want to check out our YouTube Channel and/or the FITSNews Week in Review podcast available on iTunes and Spotify to catch up. Now… I bet you are wondering why we are talking about Murdaugh and not cheer? Because our Producer, Dylan Nolan is in Charleston attending the hearings in person while Will and I are holding the fort down in Columbia.  As talented as Will and I pretend to be, we rely on our producer, Dylan Nolan for all things technical and I promise you do not want to hear a podcast that we threw together without him!  We will be back next week with more new episodes and may even have some exciting news to share! 

Last week, this podcast shared the first part of our host Jenn Wood’s amazing interview with Kristen - the mother of twin boys who are survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated by Jerry Harris, one of the stars of the hit Netflix show, Cheer.We had intended to air the second half of that interview today but we’ve delayed that so we can turn our attention to some interesting legal moves by Tennessee-based Varsity.This episode is going to be one you won’t want to miss...