High-school cheerleading is supposed to be a fun and competitive sport. While coaches are always on the lookout to improve their team, this coach took it too far.
In fact, this male coach was caught on tape doing the unthinkable.
And his actions were so horrific, he’s been placed on leave and the videos have now been turned over to the police.
It all started during cheerleading practice one day.
Determined to have his team be the best, newly hired high-school cheerleading coach Ozell Williams was seen forcing young high-school girls into an extended split position – against their will.
Williams, a grown man, sexually assaulted several young high-school girls, as he heldthem down with their legs spread open into the extended split position, despite their tears.
One video showed a 13-year-old girl screaming out in pain, as she begged him to stop.
But he didn’t stop.
In fact, he pushed harder.
Williams continued to force the young 13-year girl into a full split, and he put his knee into her back, forcing her even closer to the ground.
To make matters worse, another adult pushed her other leg down, as her teammates held her arms so the young girl was unable to move.
Visibly upset, and clearly in pain, the 13-year girl continued to cry saying “Ow” “Stop”.
But they still didn’t stop.
The coaches forced her to hold the position so long, it actually tore tissue in her groin area due to the weight and pressure from his push.
A shocking video was recently released, which showed the entire scene unfold.
9 News reported more on the incident:
“During the first week of cheer camp for East High School in June, Ally Wakefield, an incoming freshman was surrounded by new teammates, and forced, by the recently hired cheer coach, into an extended split position.
In videos obtained by 9Wants to Know, eight cheerleaders are shown repeatedly being pushed down into the forced splits, while their arms are held up by fellow teammates, making each cheerleader unable to move herself out of the position.
All cry out in pain. Ally Wakefield asked her coach, 9 times in less than 24 seconds to “please, stop.”
All the while, Coach Ozell Williams is shown holding down each girl’s shoulders, and pushing them down further.”
Instead of immediately letting up on his grip, Williams pushed harder on the girl.
When the cheerleading coach commented on the incident, he said he was “trained in that technique.”
According to 9 News, the school has had possessionof the horrifying video from June but did not act.
But, parents of the cheerleaders, kept the pressure on.
After all, what parent would remain silent after witnessing a video of a grown male sexually assault their young daughter?
9 News continued:
“Parents have, for months, launched complaints towards the school administrators and the coach himself. On August 22, 9NEWS requested numerous records related to those complaints and the cheer team from East High School. On August 23, Denver police launched their investigation.
Denver police released the following statement on the incident Thursday:
On August 23, 2017, the Denver Police Department received anonymous information regarding the incidents involving a cheerleader coach at East High School, and Denver Police child abuse detectives immediately began an investigation. This is an open case, therefore no additional details or videos will be provided at this time.”
It’s one thing to challenge students to reach new goals, and train them to break milestones.
But it’s an entirely different story to force a young child into a position she was unable to hold, and then hold her down as she hollered in pain.
Young girls should feel safe to try out for different sports and activities, without fearing abuse from their coaches.
Thankfully, the pressure from the parents seems to be working.
9 News now reports, the cheer coach, assistant cheer coach, high school principal, assistant principal and Denver Public Schools deputy general counsel have all been placed on leave.
Below is a clip from The Today Show, showing the horrifying scene on film.
The trauma this young girl experienced is evident from her shaky remarks, as she revealed what happened to her that day. How will these heinous acts affect these young girls in the future? Could it leave them vulnerable to future and more direct sexual assaults?
*Please note, this video is terrifying and hard to watch, and may cause upset or discomfort. It is not suitable for all to watch.
What are your thoughts on the horrifying video?
Do you think the cheerleading coach should be fired, if not punished for what he did?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.