Report: Former 'Flight Crew' Cheerleader Sues Jets Over Alleged Low Wages
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It's a trend making the rounds through NFL cities -- and it can't be good for public relations.
A former New York Jets "Flight Crew" cheerleader has filed a lawsuit against the team claiming unfair pay, and is seeking to "recover money damages for unpaid wages and reimbursement of work-related expenses," according to a class-action suit.
The suit is the latest to target a professional football team. Previously, cheerleaders for the Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals filed similar suits against their teams.
In the one against the Jets, a former cheerleader known as "Krystal C." alleges the Jets paid her less than $4 an hour, when minimum wage in New Jersey, where they Jets play home games, is $8.25 an hour.
Krystal C. explained to a West Coast television station why she chose to go ahead with the lawsuit.
"Cheering in that field in that live stadium with thousands of fans and players is an experience you'll never forget," the 25-year-old Connecticut resident said during an interview with NBC Bay Area on Tuesday morning. "But I started feeling that there is this unfairness. I did all the math, and our paycheck wasn't summing up."
Krystal C., who cheered for the Jets in 2012, alleges the Flight Crew cheerleaders were paid $150 per game and an additional $100 for special events. However, she said the salary drops to just $3.77 an hour due to additional "off the clock" hours the cheerleaders are required to work.
The former cheerleader told the television station she was initially nervous to sue, but was motivated by the Oakland cheerleaders' suit against the Raiders. She ultimately decided her voice "needed to be heard," NBC Bay Area reported.
The Jets through a spokesperson declined comment. The NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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