'Cheer' Coach Monica Aldama, Navarro College Sued For Allegedly Covering Up Chearleader's Sexual Assault

Netflix's "Cheer" coach Monica Aldama is now facing charges for allegedly trying to cover up one of her team members' sexual assault and allegedly discouraging her from reporting the case to authorities.

Navarro College cheer squad member Madi Lane has filed a lawsuit before the federal court in Dallas, Texas, claiming that she was sexually assaulted inside her dorm room by a fellow team member named Salvatore "Salvo" Amico during her first semester at the Texas college in 2021, according to legal documents obtained by TMZ.

The filing stated that Amico allegedly entered Lane's dorm room — along with her roommate and the roommate's boyfriend — got onto her bed while she was asleep and started stripping off her clothes. She then screamed at him to stop; however, he continued and allegedly inserted his private part inside hers. Lane was eventually able to stop him and brought the issue to her team's attention.

But she did not receive the support she expected. Instead, one of the "veteran cheerleaders," identified in the filing as Maddy Brum, told her to "drink it off and get your mind off it," adding that they usually kept such cases to themselves, per TMZ.

Lane was first allegedly urged not to report the assault to Aldama and was even followed around by two unidentified male cheerleaders to ensure that she would not disclose the case to anyone. She, however, told her longtime boyfriend, who came to the Navarro College campus with friends, sparking a heated altercation with the male cheerleaders, before the campus police banned them from the grounds, according to court documents obtained by People.

The filling alleged that Lane and her boyfriend were "threatened" by the male cheerleaders, claiming they would "kill" them once they reported the assault.

She eventually reported the case to Aldama, 51, — the coach of the elite competitive cheerleading team — however, the latter, along with other faculty members, including athletic director Michael Lander and the Title IX coordinator Elizabeth Pillans allegedly dissuaded her from reporting the sexual assault.

Lane claimed that after approaching Saldana, she was allegedly told "not to make this a big deal," and even promised to advance her career in the sport if she would remain quiet, but she eventually quit the cheer team. Meanwhile, Pillans said neither the school nor the local police had access to a rape kit, per People.

The "Dancing With The Stars" alum and the school staff are accused of creating "a campus condition rife with sexual assault and lacking the basic standards of support for victims as required by state and federal law."

Following the lawsuit, Aldama denied the allegations and called them "wildly inaccurate."

"I am heartbroken by the false allegations made against me," she told People. "I would never remain silent or ask any student to remain silent if I were aware that any sexual misconduct occurred in the Cheer program."

Navarro College also shared a statement with the Dallas Morning News, saying they prohibit "sexual harassment and sexual misconduct against all students and [are] deeply committed to providing an educational environment free from sex discrimination and sexual assault."

"The college has established robust policies and procedures for reporting, investigating, and responding to all allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault," they concluded.