Celebrity Cheer Coach Dominick Frizzell and Tennessee’s Premier Athletics Hit

The competitive cheerleading community was hit with another bombshell lawsuit on Tuesday, alleging that a Tennessee gym fostered an environment that allowed one of its celebrity coaches to sexually and emotionally abuse at least two teenage male athletes for years.

Among them: a 15-year-old boy who told The Daily Beast that the coach sent him sexually explicit messages, photographs, and videos for months earlier this year when he was still 14. When the coach became aware he was being investigated by the sport’s governing body, U.S. All-Star Federation (USASF), over complaints made by another athlete, the teenager said the messages turned sinister—and included threats that he wanted to “destroy” the initial whistleblower.

“He made it feel like it was a normal thing and it was OK,” the boy, identified as John Doe 1 in a lawsuit filed in Tennessee federal court, said about the abuse. “It wasn’t fair. I feel like it was happening to multiple people.”

John Doe 1 is one of two teenage boys in the lawsuit demanding a jury trial. Among the defendants named in the suit are Varsity Spirit, its associated brands, and its former founder Jeff Webb; USASF; USA Cheer; Charlesbank Capital Partner; Bain Capital; Premier Athletics, where the two teenage boys were allegedly abused, and the gym’s manager Susan Traylor, and coach Dominick “Nick” Frizzell.

Frizzell is well-known in the cheer world and previously competed with a nationally renowned All-Stars team. Currently, he’s a cheerleader at the University of Tennessee and has a large social media following, including 31,000 followers on Instagram and 48,000 on TikTok. (Both accounts were made private on Tuesday morning.)

A spokesperson for the University of Tennessee told The Daily Beast that Frizzell was suspended from participating in the school’s Spirit Program activities on Sept. 16 and “was formally dismissed from the program” on Tuesday.

via Facebook/Premier Athletics – Knoxville West

The lawsuit, obtained by The Daily Beast, alleges that Traylor allowed Frizzell to “emotionally, physically, and sexually exploit and abuse…Premier’s young athletes.” “Premier Athletics and Defendant Frizzell, along with other gyms and coaches, were empowered and placed in positions of trust and authority by the Varsity Defendants, all while the Varsity Defendants knew or should have known that these same coaches and gyms were pervasively abusing athletes or allowing athletes to be abused,” the lawsuit added.

In a statement to The Daily Beast, USA Cheer Executive Director Lauri Harris said the allegations are “tragic and we are heartbroken for any victims of abuse.” “Sexual abuse and misconduct in all forms is reprehensible and has no place in sport or society,” Harris added. “USA Cheer will continue to work with the entire cheer community and all relevant agencies to rid it of bad actors and hold those responsible to account.”

An attorney representing Premier Athletics denied the allegations, claiming the lawsuit contains “many inaccuracies and false statements” about the gym and Traylor. “The health and safety of athletes that train at its facilities is extremely…