STAR
STAR OF
STAR OF NETFLIX'S HIT SHOW CHEER, IS NOW BEING INVESTIGATED
BY THE FBI FOR
ALLEGEDLY
SOLICITING SEX FROM
MINORS.
THOSE MINORS ARE
TWIN 14-YEAR-OLD
BROTHERS FROM
TEXAS, BOTH
COMPETITIVE
CHEERLEADERS, WHO
SAY HARRIS SEXUALLY
HARASSED THEM
ONLINE AND IN
PERSON FOR YEARS.
THE BOYS AND THEIR
MOTHER ARE NOW
SUING HARRIS
ALONG WITH THE TWO
MAJOR ENTITIES AT
THE CENTER OF THE
SPORT OF
CHEERLEADING.
THIS 47-PAGE LAWSUIT
DETAILS ALLEGATIONS
AGAINST HARRIS AND
PAINTS A BROAD
PICTURE OF
NEGLIGENCE AND
DECEPTION BY
VARSITY - THE
LARGEST COMPANY IN
CHEERLEADING - AND
THE SPORT'S
GOVERNING BODY,
THE U.S. ALL-STAR
FEDERATION OR
USASF.
THE LAWSUIT SAYS
HARRIS WAS HELD UP
AS A CELEBRITY BY
THE CHEERLEADING
ORGANIZATIONS AND
WORKED AS A
TRAINER AND MENTOR
FOR THEM.
IT CLAIMS HARRIS
BEFRIENDED THE TWO
BOYS AT ONE OF THE
NATIONAL
COMPETITIONS IN
2018, WHEN HE WAS
19.
THE TWINS WHO
WERE 13 AT THE TIME,
WERE "STAR STRUCK".
HARRIS REPORTEDLY
ASKED FOR THEIR
NUMBERS AND SOCIAL
MEDIA ACCOUNTS AND
ACCORDING TO THE
LAWSUIT, HE BEGAN
GROOMING THEM ON
SOCIAL MEDIA AND
SENDING THEM
MESSAGES THAT
QUICKLY TURNED
SEXUAL IN NATURE.
HE ALLEGEDLY
DEMANDED NAKED
PICTURES OF THE
BOYS, ASKED THEM
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
ABOUT THEIR SEXUAL
EXPERIENCES, AND
EXPLOITED THE FACT
THAT THEY WERE
OPENLY GAY.
IN FEBRUARY 2020,
THE BOY'S MOTHER
FOUND THE
MESSAGES ON THEIR
CELL PHONES AND
SOCIAL MEDIA AND
IMMEDIATELY
REPORTED IT TO
USASF, VARSITY AND
CHEER ATHLETICS -
ONE OF THE GYMS
WHERE HARRIS
CHEERED.
SHE PROVIDED
EVIDENCE OF THE
MANIPULATION,
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
AND EXPLOITATION
HER SONS HAD
SUFFERED, BUT THE
LAWSUIT SAYS
NOTHING HAPPENED.
FINALLY, IN JULY SHE
WENT TO FORT
WORTH POLICE AND IN
AUGUST FILED A
REPORT WITH THE FBI.
NOW-- VARSITY ALSO
SAYS THEY'VE CUT
TIES WITH HARRIS
DESPITE THAT.. THE
LAWSUIT ALLEGES
VARSITY AND USASF
KNEW OR SHOULD
HAVE KNOWN THAT
HARRIS WAS WAS
HUGGING AND
TOUCHING MINORS,
THAT HE HAD A
DANGEROUS
PROPENSITY TO
ENGAGE IN SEXUAL
MISCONDUCT WITH
CHILDREN AND CLAIMS
THEY FAILED TO
REMOVE HIM FROM
HAVING ACCESS TO
CHILDREN.
TODAY I SPOKE WITH
SARAH KLEIN, ONE OF
THE LAWYERS FOR
THE TEENS AT THE
CENTER OF THIS
LAWSUIT.
SHE SAYS THIS IS A
SIGN OF A MUCH
BIGGER PROBLEM-
ONE SHE KNOWS ALL
TOO WELL SINCE
SHE'S A FORMER
GYMNAST AND A
LARRY NASSAR
SURVIVOR.
SURVIVOR.
"THE
"THE LAWSUIT STEMS FROM AN ADULT, HAVING SEXUAL
CONTACT WITH
MINORS THESE BOYS
WERE 13 YEARS OLD
WHEN THE SEXUAL
CONTACT BY JERRY
HARRIS BEGAN. AND
IT'S ALL IN BLACK AND
WHITE, IT'S ALL
DOCUMENTED."
SARAH KLEIN IS ONE
OF THE LAWYERS
REPRESENTING THE
TWIN BOYS ACCUSING
JERRY HARRIS OF
SEXUAL HARASSMENT.
KLEIN WAS THRUST
INTO THE NATIONAL
SPOTLIGHT WHEN SHE
AND HUNDREDS OF
OTHER GYMNASTS
SPOKE OUT AGAINST
LARRY NASSAR, THE
FORMER USA
GYMNASTICS DOCTOR
WHO WAS CONVICTED
OF ABUSING THEM
FOR YEARS.
KLEIN SAYS THERE
ARE SOME
SIMILARITIES
BETWEEN HER CASE
WITH NASSAR AND
HER CLIENT'S CASE
AGAINST HARRIS --
AND MOST OF IT
STEMS FROM A LACK
OF REPORTING BY THE
TWO MAIN ENTITIES IN
COMPETITIVE
CHEERLEADING.
COMPETITIVE CHEERLEADING. VARSITY - THE
PRIVATE COMPANY
THAT DOMINATES THE
CHEERLEADING
INDUSTRY SUPPLYING
UNIFORMS, HOSTING
CAMPS AND
COMPETITIONS.
AND THE U.S. ALL-
STAR FEDERATION
WHICH GOVERNS
COMPETITIVE
CHEERLEADING.
COMPETITIVE CHEERLEADING. "JERRY HARRIS WAS
ACTING AS AN AGENT
OF THOSE ENTITIES.
FIRST OF ALL, SECOND
OF ALL, THIS MOTHER
DID THE RIGHT THING
AND PICKED UP THE
PHONE IMMEDIATELY
WHEN SHE FOUND
OUT ABOUT THIS. AND
SHE CONTACTED
USASF, WHO ON THEIR
WEBSITE CLAIMS TO,
YOU KNOW, DO HAVE
ALL THE RIGHT
POLICIES IN PLACE
REGARDING SEXUAL
ABUSE, AND THEY SAT
ON IT, AND THEY SAT
ON IT AND THEY SAT
ON IT."
KLEIN SAYS HER
CLIENT'S MOTHER
FIRST REPORTED
WHAT SHE'D FOUND
ON HER SON'S
PHONES AND SOCIAL
MEDIA TO USASF.
THEN SHE WENT TO
POLICE WHEN THEY
DID NOTHING.
ALTHOUGH VARSITY
TOLD USA TODAY THAT
IN AUGUST THEY'D
WRITTEN A LETTER TO
POLICE IN FLORIDA
AND TEXAS SAYING
THEY'D LEARNED OF
INAPPROPRIATE
SEXUAL CONDUCT
ALLEGATIONS AGAINST
HARRIS, KLEIN SAYS
THEY ACTUALLY KNEW
ABOUT IT MUCH
EARLIER ... AND
WAITED.
"SAME THING WE SAW
IN THE SPORT OF
GYMNASTICS RIGHT
YOU HAVE A
MONOPOLY RUNNING
THE SPORT. AND THEN
YOU HAVE CHILDREN
BEING SEXUALIZED,
AND YOU HAVE
ADULTS WHO ARE
LOOKING AT THE
BOTTOM LINE
FINANCIALLY, HOW
CAN WE MAKE THE
MOST MONEY
POSSIBLE OFF OF
CHILDREN. AND SO,
WHEN YOU HAVE
ORGANIZATIONS
POLICING
ORGANIZATIONS POLICING THEMSELVES AND
THEIR VALUE SYSTEM
IS FINANCIAL GAME.
ESSENTIALLY, THEY
DON'T CARE WHAT
HAPPENS TO THESE
KIDS AND THEN YOU
ADD ON TOP OF THAT,
YOU KNOW, A
HOMOSEXUAL CHILD.
THEY, THEY BECOME
THE PERFECT TARGET
IN THIS VERY
DYSFUNCTIONAL VERY
BROKEN CULTURE. "
TODAY,
TODAY, A
TODAY, A SPOKEPERSON FOR HARRIS TOLD THE
MEDIA HE DISPUTES
ANY CLAIMS AGAINST
HIM.
HIM. KLEIN SAYS SHE BELIEVES THERE
COULD BE OTHER
CHILDREN
EXPERIENCING
CHILDREN EXPERIENCING SIMILAR SITUATIONS
WITHIN THE SPORT OF
CHEERLEADING.
KLEIN ASKS
ANYONE WHO
BELIEVES THEY ARE
VICTIM OF SEXUAL
ASSUALT OR
HARASSMENT TO
COME FORWARD WITH
THEIR CASE -- AND
CONTINUE TO REPORT
THEIR STORY UNTIL IT
IS PROPERLY
ADDRESSED.
ADDRESSED.