Middle School Teacher Tortures Cheerleaders Who Burned Hands In Extreme Heat

A middle school teacher from Texas hit the headlines recently after she allegedly ordered the school cheerleading team to crawl around on their hands and knees despite the extreme weather.

The heat on the ground meant many of the girls suffered serious burns on their hands.

At a glance:

  • A Texas middle school cheerleading coach allegedly forced her team to perform bear crawls and crab walks on a hot track, resulting in first- and second-degree burns for the students.
  • The punishment was reportedly due to the cheerleaders performing a routine the coach disapproved of during a football game.
  • The coach has been placed on administrative leave, and an investigation is underway as parents express outrage over the incident.

A Texas middle school cheerleading coach is under investigation after allegedly forcing her eighth-grade cheerleaders to perform punishing exercises on a dangerously hot track, resulting in first- and second-degree burns to their hands. The incident occurred at Evans Middle School in Lubbock on October 9, 2024, following a cheer routine the coach reportedly deemed disrespectful.

According to reports from KAMC, the cheerleading squad was ordered to complete “bear crawls” and “crab walks” for a mile on the school’s track during a 2 p.m. practice. The surface of the track was reportedly over 125 degrees, contributing to severe burns on the cheerleaders’ hands. Temperatures in Lubbock had reached 95 degrees that day, and one of the parents measured the track temperature to confirm the extreme heat.

The exercises, typically used to improve core strength and mobility, became unbearable for the students as the heat caused them pain. Angel Thompson, a parent of one of the cheerleaders, described the moment she realized what had happened. “She put our stuff down in the car, went to sit down, and said, ‘Mom, you want to know how my day was in cheer?’ She told me they got a punishment, and then showed me her hands.”

Despite complaints from the students about their hands burning, the coach allegedly showed no concern and insisted they continue the punishment. “We told her our hands are burning, and she said she didn’t care, and made us go back down on the track,” one of the cheerleaders recalled.

The result of this punishment was severe, with several cheerleaders returning home with burns. Some were treated by the school nurse, while one was taken to Texas Tech University Medical Center’s burn unit for further treatment. Parents were outraged, particularly because the school did not inform them of their daughters’ injuries or their visits to the nurse.

One mother described the punishment as “malicious” and “intentional,” expressing disbelief that her child and others were subjected to such dangerous conditions. “It was malicious. It was intentional,” she said, criticizing the coach for what she perceived as a deliberate act of harm.

The coach has since been placed on administrative leave as Lubbock ISD and local authorities investigate the incident. In a statement, Lubbock ISD expressed its deep concern and regret over the situation. “We are addressing this matter with utmost urgency, and are fully committed to investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. No child should ever be subjected to harm in a learning environment.”

The school district emphasized that student safety is a top priority, and they are working to ensure that incidents like this do not happen again. However, this incident is not the first of its kind in Texas. In 2022, a similar event occurred when a physical education teacher in another Texas public school was criticized for forcing students to perform bear crawls as punishment in extreme heat, resulting in burns.

Safety is a top priority? Doesn’t sound like it. Especially given weird stuff like this happened…twice.