VALDOSTA – The U.S Department of Education is investigating a complaint that Lowndes High School officials discriminated against black students in selecting students for the school’s varsity and junior varsity football cheerleading squad.

The investigation stems from a complaint made by Ronda Scott, a parent of an LHS cheerleader.

On Feb. 17, Scott sent a list of complaints to the USDE Office for Civil Rights claiming school officials discriminated and retaliated against her daughter and claimed black students are discouraged from applying for the football cheerleading squad and are steered to the basketball squad instead.

In a reply to Scott, the Office for Civil Rights said it is opening an investigation into her claims.

The complaint includes the following accusations:

• The process for selecting cheerleaders for the Junior Varsity (JV) squad was discriminatory and resulted in the selection of all white students to the JV squad.
• White students were informed of the option to participate in the tryouts for both the Varsity and JV squads and allowed to participate in both tryouts, in violation of the school’s written policy; however, the student was not informed of this option or allowed to participate in both tryouts.
• Retaliating against the student by giving her a “prank gift” for an award at a banquet, which was visible; however, the white cheerleaders received gifts that were in boxes and wrapped.
• Retaliating against the student by denying her the opportunity to lead a cheer during the entire season, which lasted from August 2015 to February 2016.
• Retaliating against the student in October 2015 by informing the white cheerleaders at the school to assist the middle school cheer squad, but not providing the Student with notice of the same opportunity.
• Retaliating against the student during the 2015-2016 football season by not including her parents’ sponsorship ad in the football ad book.

Sources have told Valdosta Today that many of the claims are questionable.

The “prank gift,” which was a basket containing a foam football and sour candies, was reportedly given to each of the cheerleaders during the banquet.

The October 2015 visit to assist middle school cheerleaders was reportedly only open to senior cheerleaders. Ninth grade students were not invited to attend.

Sources also tell Valdosta Today that no cheerleader is guaranteed the opportunity to lead cheers.

The Office of Civil Rights will be investigating the merits of Scott’s complaints against the school.

Lowndes County School officials did not immediately respond to a request for a comment late Tuesday night, and it is unclear if the school has received a copy of the complaint from the USDE.

On Monday night, Scott and her husband, former University of Georgia football star Lindsay Scott, appealed to the Lowndes Board of Education, seeking what they described as “justifiable responses on why the school system of 3,000 students has only 16 students on its junior varsity or varsity cheer squads, compared to a neighboring school rival with 23 cheerleaders.”

The Scotts said high school cheer squads are often a requirement for college-level cheer consideration and that the LHS cheer selection process “has placed Afro-American girls at grave disadvantage.”