CORSICANA, Texas — Monica Aldama, who led the Navarro College cheerleading team that gained national prominence from Netflix's hit show "Cheer," has announced her retirement from the program, university officials said Wednesday.
The university said in a press release that Aldama's career will conclude at the end of the Fall 2023 semester, marking the end of a dynastic run which included 16 National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) National Championships in the Advanced Large Co-Ed Division since she took over in 2000. They secured a 17th national title the new Game Day Open Division during competitions in Daytona Beach, Fla., in April.
Navarro Cheer also earned six "Grand National" Championships by achieving the highest scores across all competing programs, including elite NCAA Division I squads.
Aldama's 2000 cheer team set an NCA College Nationals' all-time scoring record during an era when no official "Grand National" title was awarded.
“There is not a larger figure in the sport of cheer than Monica Aldama and we are proud to call her our own,” said Michael Landers, Executive Director of Student Services and Athletics. “She is an icon in the sport and built our program from the ground up with class, grace and a championship mindset.”
The success of the Navarro cheer program shot to new heights after being featured on Netflix's "Cheer," which debuted in 2020 at the start of the COVID pandemic. After theshow's first season, Aldama and members of the Navarro cheer team became national icons, making regular appearances on talk shows around the country, including Good Moring America and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Aldama's celebrity even got so big, she competed on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.
Aldama's tenure as Navarro's head coach, however, was not completely unblemished.
The height of the Cheer stardom came crashing down just as much as the ascent after Jerry Harris, a former Navarro cheerleader, was convicted of soliciting sex from minors and sentenced to 12 years in prison. Aldama told Extra's Katie Krause in an exclusive interview that her heart broke for the victims and added that the cheerleading industry was working toward creating change to better protect the children.
Earlier this year, an unnamed former cheerleader from Navarro College sued Aldama and the college alleging sexual harassment and a cover-up. In the lawsuit, the cheerleader alleged she was sexually assaulted by another member of the cheer team and reported it to Aldama, the college's Title IX office and campus police. After allegedly reporting the incident, the victim's mother allegedly reached back out to both campus police and the college's Title IX office for an update, the lawsuit says, but was told there were not any reports on record.
Navarro College denied the allegations made in the lawsuit to WFAA, providing the following statement:
"The College denies any allegations of wrongdoing and is prepared to vigorously defend itself in court. The safety and welfare of students is always of utmost priority. Navarro College prohibits sexual harassment and sexual misconduct against all students and is deeply committed to providing an educational environment free from sex discrimination and sexual assault."
Aldama also posted a statement about the civil lawsuit to Instagram on May 3:
Then, earlier this month, Aldama shared on Instagram that the civil lawsuit against her was dismissed and the complaint against her was being closed by USA Cheer. You can read her full statement here:
One week after announcing the lawsuit dismissal, Aldama posted again on her Instagram, criticizing how the investigation was handled and a lack of communication with her.
She also said "I fully intend to tell my story dating back to the events in 2021 ... will be told with facts and evidence and a timeline corroborated with surveillance video, snapchat vidos, text messages and emails." Read the full statement here:
Aldama's retirement marks the end of an era at Navarro cheer, one that leaves an indelible mark on the world of cheerleading.
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