Wisconsin Court Bars Cheerleader’s Injury Suit Against Teammate

The Wisconsin Supreme Court says a former high school cheerleader cannot sue a teammate who dropped her while practicing a stunt in a case closely watched in the cheerleading world.

Brittany Noffke was a cheerleader at Holmen High School when she fell and injured her head during warmups before a basketball game in 2004.

Noffke filed a lawsuit against a male teammate who dropped her, the school district and its insurer.

The court ruled this week that the teammate can’t be sued because Wisconsin law prevents participants in contact sports, including cheerleading, from suing each other for unintentional injuries. That overturns a lower court’s decision.

The court also upheld a decision that the district can’t be sued for the coach’s lack of supervision.