The growing controversy around NFL teams’ treatment of cheerleaders resurfaced Tuesday when a former Cowboys cheerleader sued the franchise for unlawful labor practices.
Erica Wilkins, who was a member of Dallas’ cheerleading squad for three seasons, accused the team of neglecting to pay her for the overtime hours she accrued weekly, according to an NBC 5 report.
In the lawsuit, Wilkins is said to have “routinely worked in excess of 40 hours per workweek while performing her cheerleading duties.”
The suit also claimed the Cowboys mistreated their cheerleaders by paying them less than the male mascot and pushing them to promote the team on their social media accounts without compensation. Instead, the posts gave the Cowboys organization a financial boost, according to the suit.
Wilkins’ accusations come in the wake of multiple reports of NFL cheerleaders speaking out against their workplace environments, including being instructed to please male fans and other forms of harassment.

