The Coastal Carolina University cheerleading team has been suspended indefinitely as officials investigate a laundry list of allegations against them, including prostitution. Here’s everything you need to know about the story.

What Happened?

According to a cheerleader who spoke to WMBF News on the condition of anonymity, an investigator with the CCU Department of Public Safety came to the team’s practice Wednesday night and informed them that an anonymous letter was mailed to school president David DeCenzo on March 7. The letter alleged that certain cheerleaders were involved in a “long list of things” that were against the law, such as prostitution, purchasing alcohol for underage team members and paying others to do their homework for them.

Police then met the team outside the HTC center after practice, according to the cheerleader. Authorities took specific team members to CCU’s police station for questioning where their cell phones were also searched. Officers then released them around 11:00 P.M. after telling them they did nothing wrong.

CCU Vice President of Communications William M. Plate Jr. said there are currently no incident reports related to the conduct investigation.

The cheerleading section of the CCU Athletics website has removed pictures of team members.

The HTC Center confirmed that a cheerleading showcase that was scheduled for April 4 has been removed from the schedule ahead of the team’s planned appearance at a national competition in Florida. The cheerleader said the team was told they will no longer be allowed to attend the competition in Daytona Beach, Florida. Officials with the competition said the team is still registered and paid in full, and they have not heard the team will not be coming. Team members raised money for their own travel expenses to the competition, and are now upset that they are unable to attend, the cheerleader said.

Reaction

Several cheerleaders and family members have taken to Twitter to voice their displeasure with the university’s actions:

@wmbfnews as a parent of a coastal Carolina cheerleader, I would like to state that the athletic director treats the cheerleaders unfairly. — LaCole Gadson (@2cutebutterfly) March 30, 2017

@wmbfnews less than a week away from competition and Coastal is stopping the girls from going with no valid reason. — LaCole Gadson (@2cutebutterfly) March 30, 2017



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