Nine Stanford University cheerleaders air toxic allegations against head coach
Nine current and former Stanford University cheerleaders allege their head coach fostered an environment of intimidation, neglected injured athletes and pushed students to their physical and emotional breaking points.The cheerleaders, speaking to the Stanford Daily, accused head coach Sarah Levine of routinely berating them, publicly humiliating them and at least once pressuring an injured member to return to the mat before he had recovered.“It’s probably the most visibly abusive experience that I’ve ever had in my life,” said a former cheerleader identified by the Daily as Rush, who claims he suffered a concussion during his time on the team.“I felt like I could not leave because I was too scared to leave.” The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.Please provide a valid email.
By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story Levine has led the elite California university’s squad for 18 years and has not responded to The Post’s request for comment.Of the nine students and alumni, two spoke to the Stanford Daily on the condition of partial anonymity to protect their online presence, while seven spoke anonymously because they feared retaliation.One of the most alarming alleged accounts involved Rush, who claimed Levine dismissed his concerns about returning to stunting shortly after he suffered a bicycle accident that left him with stitches on his forehead in October 2024.About a week and a half after the accident, Rush said he returned to practice despite feeling uncomfortable.“I pointed out my scar on my head and said I want to be super careful it does not [get hit] and take the stitches out,” he told the Daily.Levine allegedly assured him he would be fine.But during the practice, another cheerleader fell from a stunt while Rush was spotting, sending the weight of the fall on to his head.
Despite walking off the court in pain, ...