Former Saints cheerleader says firing violated employment law

Running a business and overseeing employees in Louisiana can be a difficult matter. This is especially true today when greater attention is being paid to how employees are treated and claims of violations of employment regulations are prominent. Whether it is a small business that is not well-known, a larger business that is the subject of significant attention and anything in between, employment laws are vital not just for employees, but for employers too. While employees have the right to seek compensation if they have been mistreated at work, employers also have rights under employment law and should have legal help to ensure they are fully protected in every eventuality.

For example, gender discrimination is being alleged by a former cheerleader for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. The woman, 22, asserts that the female employees who work to entertain the fans and promote the club are treated differently than the players. After working for the club for three years, the woman says that she was dismissed after an Instagram post. She says that she did not violate any rules and her account was set to private.

The team’s rules state that employees cannot appear in lingerie, semi-nude or nude. She claims that she did none of these. She received a text message from the senior director of the cheerleading squad telling her that she should have known better and had previously been spoken to about having attended a party that a player was also attending. There is a rule against fraternization between players and cheerleaders. She and her attorney claim that there is a double-standard as to how players and cheerleaders are treated. The Saints say that they have workplace rules and they were violated and the dismissal was not based on any form of discrimination.

When a well-known employer is facing allegations of wrongful discharge or any other violation of employment law, it is easy for it to appear as if a large corporate entity is mistreating an employee. However, if there are rules in place and these are known at the time, then employees should expect to be sanctioned and even dismissed if they are violated. For companies that are dealing with similar issues related to social media and basic rules of conduct they have implemented and are accused of violating employment law, it is critical to have legal assistance from a law firm that understands all aspects of defending companies from these accusations to formulate a strong defense against employment litigation.

Source: yahoo.com, “NFL cheerleader claims discrimination after being fired for posting pic of herself in a one-piece,” Erin Donnelly, March 26, 2018