Middle school cheerleaders suffered burns after coach allegedly forced them to “bear crawl” on the hot track as punishment

LUBBOCK, Texas (Gray News) – Texas high school cheerleaders suffered first- and second-degree burns to their hands after their coach allegedly made them crawl on a hot outdoor track earlier this month.

According to a local report from KLBKThirteen cheerleaders from Evans High School in Lubbock suffered burns after performing the “bear crawl” on October 9.

Eighth-grade cheerleaders told KLBK they were punished for cheering during a football game, something their coach allegedly didn’t want.

The girls said they were told to crawl for a mile, but most were unable to continue running after two laps because of pain in their arms.

One of the cheerleaders told the coach that her hands were burning, to which the coach replied that she “didn’t care” and forced them to continue practicing.

After hearing about what happened, one parent went to check the track temperature that afternoon and said it was at least 125 degrees.

KLBK reported that at least one cheerleader was taken to the burn unit at University Medical Center.

Numerous photos of the girls’ hands show large blisters and burns.

The coach, who is a teacher at the school, has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by both the school district and police.

The parents said they expected criminal charges to be filed.

The Lubbock Independent School District confirmed the incident in a statement and said in part: “We want to express our deep concern and regret for the pain and suffering this has caused students and their families. No child should ever be the victim of harm in their learning environment and we are fully committed to ensuring that such incidents do not happen again.”