Families Sue Organizers, Operators Over Cheer Competition Pandemonium

Yahoo

2 days ago

Several families have taken legal action against the organizers and venue operators of the 2025 NCA All-Star National Championship over the chaotic incident that occurred at the event in March.
As reported at the time in The Dallas Express, the annual event turned into a nightmarish scene following reports of the presence of an active shooter within the facility. The confusion led to widespread disorder, prompting attendees to flee in panic.
The incident occurred on Saturday, March 1, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, the site of the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) All-Star Championship.
Nine families are suing Varsity Spirit, Varsity Brands, OVG Facilities, Oak View Group, Global Spectrum, and Omni Hotels Management Corporation, alleging the organizers and operators failed to provide basic security measures.
According to the Dallas Police Department, a fight between two people led to multiple poles being knocked over, resulting in loud noises that attendees mistook for gunshots. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege the ensuing chaos left them physically and emotionally injured because of a lack of safety planning.
'If they're going to put on an event of that size, they provide adequate protections and safety that those patrons deserve,' said Ashlea Schwarz, an attorney with Paul LLP representing the families out of Kansas City, Missouri, per WFAA.
In one instance, says Schwarz, one of her clients awoke in the ICU with brain bleeds after being trampled and knocked unconscious during the mayhem.
'There were no serious injuries—no life-threatening injuries? Tell that to my client who was in the ICU for days with a double brain bleed,' said Schwarz.
The plaintiffs, seeking more than $1 million in damages, allege that despite the cheer event being governed by the Convention Center's safety and security protocols, no emergency plans were executed during the disorder. They further claim that security staff, rather than assisting people, were running alongside attendees.
'The security was running with all of the patrons there… They weren't stopping to help direct,' Schwarz said.
According to Schwarz, many more families have contacted her law firm.
'This is believed to be the first lawsuit filed in connection with this incident. But we've had roughly 200 families reach out to us. Each one has a case,' she said.