Bengals Cheerleader Files Lawsuit Against the Team for Wage Theft

Everyone wants to get their money when they put the work in. Turns out the Cincinatti Bengals cheerleaders are only making $2.85 an hour.

Alexa Brenneman, a member of the Ben-Gals from approximately May 2013 through Jan. 2014, alleges she is compensated, at most, $90 per home game at which the Ben-Gals cheer. Brenneman says between mandatory practices, public appearances, pregame time at the stadium and calendar posing/promotions, she works more than 300 hours a year for the Bengals' organization. Yet, she claims her pay rate comes out to less than $2.85 an hour, well under the 2013 Ohio minimum wage rate of $7.85.

Her accusation is that the Bengals are in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act and Ohio Minimum Fair Wage Standards Act. The class action claim of the lawsuit includes, "All persons who were employed by Defendant as a Cincinnati BenGal cheerleader at any time from February 10, 2011 through the present." This not the first lawsuit of this kind this year, earlier the Oakland Raiders cheer leading squad sued their organization. I just hope my Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are not being screwed over in wages.