Ex-Cheerleaders Sue Bills Over Pay, Hygiene Rules

Five former cheerleaders are taking the Buffalo Bills to court, saying they were paid less than minimum wage and subjected to disturbing physical scrutiny. The Bills "exploited the women by failing to pay them in accordance with New York State minimum wage laws," the lawsuit, which also targets the squad's current and former management companies, alleges. One member reportedly made just $150 over the course of a season, Deadspin notes. Oakland Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals cheerleaders have recently filed similar lawsuits, USA Today points out.

But the case of the Buffalo Jills, as they're known, features a number of additional accusations, Deadspin reports. They received behavior rules (not unlike reported Ravens cheerleader regulations) on matters as wide-ranging as "how to properly eat soup" and how to talk to "people with disabilities"—in addition to "how to properly wash 'intimate areas,' and how often to change tampons," the suit says. They also reportedly faced weekly "Jiggle Tests" to ensure they were up to performing. "The treatment we endured was unacceptable, and the public needs to know and understand the situation we were in," says one former cheerleader, via the Buffalo News. It hasn't been a great news cycle for the Bills, who must cough up $3 million—for texting a fan too much. (More Buffalo Bills stories.)