Cheer Athletics denies responsibility for Jerry Harris’ alleged assault of Fort Worth boy
A cheerleading organization being sued by a Fort Worth family over the alleged sexual assault of a young boy at a cheer competition denied responsibility for the actions of the suspected assaulter, Jeremiah Harris, in a motion Monday.
Harris, made famous by the Netflix miniseries “Cheer” that centered on a cheerleading team in Navarro, is accused of sexually assaulting a Fort Worth boy in February 2019. FBI agents arrested 21-year-old Harris in September and he was charged with child pornography production. Harris “exploited and violated” at least 10 boys, federal prosecutors alleged in a separate court filing in September.
He has previously denied the claims against him to media. Harris admitted to having oral and anal sex with a 15-year-old at a 2019 cheer event in his Sept. 14 interview with authorities, according to a pretrial motion filed in the Northern District of Illinois.
The lawsuit filed out of Fort Worth in September names Cheer Athletics, Varsity Spirit LLC and the United States All Star Federation as defendants. Harris worked as a “coach, trainer, mentor, representative, and agent” for the organizations.
The suit claims those groups concealed Harris’ predatory nature and endangered the minors who attended cheerleading events, such as the competition at the Fort Worth Convention Center in 2019. Varsity Spirit LLC and United States All Star Federation sponsored the event where Harris is accused of raping the Fort Worth boy inside a public bathroom.
In a petition filed Monday, Cheer Athletics and its co-owner, Angela Rogers, denied responsibility for Harris’ alleged actions. The group is not responsible for “acts of third persons or entities,” the motion said.
“Defendants Cheer Athletics, Inc. and Angela A. Rogers state that the claims made by Plaintiffs in this case arise out of an event which was caused by the acts of third persons or entities for whose conduct or actions Defendants Cheer Athletics, Inc. and Angela A. Rogers are not responsible,” the document says.
According to the lawsuit out of Fort Worth, Harris also used his fame from “Cheer” and his position as a cheerleading trainer and coach to befriend two twin boys at a national cheerleading competition.
“Plaintiffs were ‘star struck,’ as Harris was already a known All-Star Cheer personality, icon and coach within the state and nationally,” the lawsuit says.
Harris used his fame to manipulate the boys into sending nude photos and sent them explicit content over Snapchat.
