OSU fires cheerleading coach over harassment allegations

Published 2:31 am Friday, November 29, 2013

COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio State University has fired its head cheerleading coach, who was accused of not reporting sexual harassment allegations against two assistant coaches.

The Columbus Dispatch reports an athletic department spokesman confirmed the coach was fired Monday and an assistant coach hired in July will lead the team on an interim basis.

The school fired two assistant cheerleading coaches last May after they were accused of sexually harassing cheerleaders. The newspaper previously reported that cheerleaders told investigators one of the coaches made sexual jokes and sometimes inappropriately touched male cheerleaders. The other coach was accused of making inappropriate remarks to the female cheerleaders.

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The newspaper reported the two coaches said that they were just playing around and that sexual jokes were common on the team.