A Texas cheerleader coach is under scrutiny following allegations of enforcing a “barbaric” punishment on her middle school students, leaving them with severe sores on their hands as a result.

More than a dozen eighth-grade cheerleaders at Evans Middle School were subjected to a “bear crawl” exercise on a track that had become burning hot under the sun last Wednesday (October 9) after allegedly performing a routine the coach deemed to be “disrespectful.”

ABC affiliate KAMC reported that the surface reached temperatures up to 125 degrees Fahrenheit (50ºC), causing first and second-degree burns on the girls’ arms and palms.

“I had asked my daughter, ‘Are you OK? How was school?’ She put our stuff down in the car, went to sit down, and said, ‘Mom, you want to know how my day was in cheer?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ She told me that they got punished and showed me her hands,” recalled Angel Thompson, one of the student’s mothers.

A group of Texas middle school cheerleaders had their hands and arms burned after their coach forced them to crawl on all fours under the scorching sun

Image credits: everythinglubbock

The Lubbock ISD coach, who has remained unnamed while investigations are underway, was placed on administrative leave.

The school district said in a statement, “We are addressing this matter with utmost urgency and are fully committed to investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. ”

Image credits: kamc / Evans Middle School

“We want to express our deep concern and regret for the pain and distress this has caused the students and their families. No child should ever be harmed in a learning environment, and we are fully committed to ensuring that incidents like this do not happen again.”

The mothers, however, were not satisfied with the school’s apology. They believed the coach was fully aware of the damage she was causing and accused the establishment of failing to inform them of their daughters’ status in time.

At least one of the students had to be taken to a burn unit, while the others were sent home without the school informing the parents about what had happened

Image credits: everythinglubbock

“It was malicious and intentional,” one of the mothers added, explaining that the coach threatened the kids’ future in cheerleading if they didn’t complete their punishment.

“We told her our hands were burning, but she didn’t care,” one cheerleader reported.

Image credits: kamc / Evans Middle School

The “bear crawl” and “crab walk” exercises require moving on all fours and are typically used to build core strength and agility. However, the heat of the track and the pain it generated caused many students to become ill and unable to continue.

Image credits: kamc / Evans Middle School

By the time the students returned home, many had developed first- and second-degree burns, providing images of the blisters on their hands and arms for the investigation. 

While some were treated by the school’s nurse, at least one had to be taken to the Texas Tech University Medical Center burn unit.

Texas coaches were outraged by the incident and called for the culprit to be fired, considering her disciplinary measures “abusive and absurd”

Image credits: kamc / Evans Middle School

Other coaches from Texas took to social media to express their disappointment about the incident.

“I’m a coach in Texas. That teacher/coach is absolutely screwed, and rightfully so,” one wrote on Reddit. “Even if the weather hadn’t been close to 100°, even if they weren’t doing the crab walks on the track- that punishment is abusive, excessive, and absurd.”

Image credits: Evans Middle School

Despite many sharing the same sentiment, others pointed out how severe measures like these have become prevalent in sports coaching, with some sharing their own experiences of being “punished.”

“I collapsed on the football field on a 105° day after being made to run 50 yards back and forth for about 15-20 minutes. At the time, I was a 330-pound lineman,” one stated.

“I still remember as a kid, my favorite football coaches had us run a whole practice on the hottest summer day because we didn’t win by enough. I’m pretty sure I had some combination of heat stroke and dehydration,” another recalled.

Netizens were left outraged by the incident and quickly called for the coach’s arrest on social media

“The coach should be fired and go to jail for this,” one stated.

“Tragic. It never should have happened. Hopefully, the coach is charged with cruelty to kids. And ordered to pay the medical bills of each student,” another argued.

“If I were one of the mothers, they would be filing assault charges against me,” a reader wrote. “I would take that lady back to that track and force her to endure the heat!”

No further information on the case has been provided as investigations are still underway. It’s still unclear whether the teacher will be fired or if charges will be filed against her.

“Straight up abuse,” wrote one reader, as others joined in to condemn the coach’s disciplinary measures

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