Former Tampa Bay Bucs Cheerleader Sues Team For Wage Theft

Former Buccaneers cheerleader Manouchcar Pierre-Val has just made Tampa Bay the fifth NFL team to get served with a lawsuit from its cheerleaders.

It remains to be seen if we get the salacious details that some of the previous cheerleader suits have alleged, but Pierre-Val is suing the Bucs based on the now-familiar federal wage law violation theory.

In the suit, Pierre-Val's attorney Kimberly Woods alleges many of the same facts as those that preceded it—the legal profession is a copycat league, too—including unpaid promotional appearances, multiple practices per week, and several hundred hours worked for the team, all for a flat per-game wage.

Pierre-Val, 25, is a registered nurse from Orlando who cheered for the Bucs during the 2012-2013 season. During that time, her attorney said, she was paid $100 per game but worked many more unpaid hours leading cheerleading clinics, visiting charity events, posing for swimsuit calendars and practicing.

"If you do the math," Woods said, "you see she earned less than $2 per hour — while the minimum wage in Florida was $7.67."

Woods also anticipated the "you knew what you were getting into" defense, noting that one cannot waive her rights under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Pierre-Val is the only named plaintiff as of now and was paid $3,000 less than minimum wage during her one year with the team.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Former Bucs cheerleader hits team with claim for unpaid wages [Tampa Bay Times]