Fired Florida cheerleading coach accused of allowing squad to drink alcohol

Credit: WFTV.com

Credit: WFTV.com

Florida cheerleading coach was fired after she was accused of allowing her high school squad to drink alcohol, school district officials said.

An internal investigation was launched after a sleepover at Kristy King’s home.

The former Heritage High School varsity cheerleading coach, who was terminated by Brevard County Schools on Aug. 15, denied the allegations.

“They’re coming from my soon-to-be ex-husband, all of this,” she said.

According to district records, an anonymous complaint was made about underage drinking at her home.

That complaint was later attributed to King's estranged husband, who told district officials he was monitoring the couple’s home security system in July, when he, "observed some of the cheerleaders consuming alcohol."

He said the issue was not about his pending divorce.

“If Brevard Public Schools wants to talk about this, all the allegations, all the accusations, all the issues, it's not coming from parents. Where it's coming from is my soon-to-be ex-husband,” King said.

District officials interviewed several cheerleaders who were at King's home for a sleepover ahead of a cheerleading camp.

Some said they saw no drinking, but one cheerleader told investigators, "One of the girls got out some alcohol for everyone."

Another student said, "The girls wanted to drink, so they took the alcohol from the pantry and began drinking."

Police went to the home the night of the sleepover, and after speaking to some of the cheerleaders outside the home, officers cleared the call with no findings.

But Brevard Public Schools concluded King knowingly provided and allowed juvenile cheerleaders to drink at her home.

In its final report, the district sustained allegations of unprofessional and unethical conduct.

King was with the district for less than a year.

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