NFL cheerleader fired over Instagram post files federal complaint claiming discrimination
NEW ORLEANS -- A former New Orleans Saints cheerleader who was fired over a picture she posted on Instagram has now filed a federal complaint.
Bailey Davis is accusing the team of discrimination and setting a different set of rules and standards for cheerleaders that don't apply to male players.
She says she was fired over a post in which she was wearing a one-piece dance bodysuit, which the team deemed distasteful.
She has started a movement called #LevelThePlayingField, one that treats all members of the team equally.
"I obviously want equal rules for the players and cheerleaders," she said. "I want to be treated like a professional athlete, just like the professional football players are treated like professional football players."
The Saints say their conduct rules apply across the board and that Davis was not treated any differently on account of her sex.
"The Saints organization strives to treat all employees fairly, including Ms. Davis," Leslie A. Lanusse, a lawyer who is representing the Saints, said in an email. "At the appropriate time and in the appropriate forum, the Saints will defend the organization's policies and workplace rules. For now, it is sufficient to say that Ms. Davis was not subjected to discrimination because of her gender."
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