‘Cheer’ Coach Monica Aldama, Navarro College Sued by Student for Allegedly Covering Up Sexual Assault
usmagazine.comNavarro College and its head cheerleading coach, Monica Aldama, have been named in a lawsuit for allegedly concealing a sexual assault, Us Weekly can confirm.Navarro student — and a one-time member of Aldama’s squad — Madi Lane claimed in a court filing obtained by Us on Thursday, April 27, that she was sexually assaulted by a teammate during her first semester at the Texas college in 2021.Lane further alleged that she told Aldama, 51, about the encounter but was urged by the coach to “not make this a big deal.” While Lane ultimately quit the cheer team, she claimed that the Dancing With the Stars alum offered to help her find another team if she kept “quiet” about the alleged misconduct.
According to the court documents, Lane reported her assault to the campus police. She was allegedly told that “this type of thing happens all the time” and “nothing will happen” in regards to her aggressor potentially facing consequences.Neither Navarro nor Aldama, who has worked for the educational institution for nearly 30 years, have publicly addressed the legal battle.
The Full Out author, for her part, has deactivated her Instagram profile.Navarro’s cheer team was previously at the center of a scandal when former student Jerry Harris was arrested on charges of production of child pornography after an FBI investigation.
Harris, now 23, was also accused of soliciting sex from minors while at cheerleading competitions.The Illinois native initially pleaded not guilty to seven felony charges, including four counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of enticement, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of travel with the intent to engage in an illicit sexual contact with a minor.
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