It appears that being a NFL cheerleader is not that great of a job after all. At least not according to Bailey Davis who filed a complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after being fired from the New Orleans Saints cheerleading squad.
Davis was fired by the Saints when she was accused, without proof, of being at the same party as one of the team’s active players. The team also said that she posted a picture of herself in what is described as a “one-piece outfit” to a private Instagram account.
According to the Saints’ cheerleader handbook, members must set all social media accounts to private, block current NFL players from following them, not post any photos of themselves in Saints gear, and must not attend any unapproved events where an active player may be. And for following these rules she was allowed to make $10.25/hr at home games.
The basis of her complaint is that she was forced to follow rules that applied only to women. Saints’ players had no such strict rules to follow when it game to the team’s dancers.
Are the Saints wrong in setting these kinds of guidelines? Do they have a right to control your social media and to dictate whom you can fraternize with on the team? Should the same guidelines be established for the players?