03 February,2017 08:33 AM IST | | AP
A former San Francisco 49ers cheerleader filed a federal lawsuit alleging National Football League (NFL) executives and team owners conspired to suppress wages for cheerleaders
Los Angeles: A former San Francisco 49ers cheerleader filed a federal lawsuit alleging National Football League (NFL) executives and team owners conspired to suppress wages for cheerleaders.
The lawsuit filed on Tuesday by the woman identified only as "Jane Doe" names the league and each football team and seeks class-action status for all NFL cheerleaders, described in court papers as "female athletes."
The NFL and its owners conspired "with the purpose of reducing market competition among female athletes and thus ensuring female athlete earnings remained far below fair market value," the suit alleges. The suit estimates damages between $100 million and $300 million and demands cheerleaders be paid commensurate with their contributions as "brand ambassadors" for teams.
