Thirteen cheerleaders at Evans Middle School in Lubbock, Texas are suffering from first and second-degree burns on their hands after they said their cheer coach made them perform “bear crawls” and “crab walks” on a hot outdoor track as punishment. 

The girls, who are all eighth graders and on the “red” team for the squad, told NewsNation affiliate KLBK they were punished for performing a cheer at a football game that she didn’t want them to do. They said the coach found it “disrespectful.”

What came next for the parents and the kids was a nightmare.

“I had asked [my daughter], ‘Are you okay? How was school?’ She put our stuff down in the car, went to sit down and said, ‘Mom, you want to know how my day was in cheer?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ She told me that they got a punishment, and shows me her hands,” Angel Thompson, a mom of an Evans Middle School cheerleader said.

The girls were told to do the bear crawls and crab walks for a mile, but most weren’t able to continue after two laps due to the pain, some even got physically sick from it. The girls said the punishment happened on Wednesday afternoon at around 2 p.m. One of the parents went to the track to check the temperature that afternoon and said it was at least 125 degrees.

“We told her our hands are burning, and she said she didn’t care, and she made us go back down on the track,” one of the cheerleaders, who asked to remain anonymous, said.

According to the parents, the coach threatened the girls’ future careers in cheer if they didn’t complete the punishment. Afterward, some girls went to see the school nurse, but still, they said they didn’t get a call from the school about their daughters’ injuries. The cheerleaders ended up with first and second-degree burns. At least one cheerleader was seen at the University Medical Center burn unit.

“It was malicious. It was intentional,” the mother of one of the cheerleaders, who asked to remain anonymous, said. 

The parents are hoping for criminal charges against the teacher and said an investigation with police is ongoing.

The teacher was placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation.

You can read the full statement from Lubbock ISD below.

“Lubbock ISD administration is aware of an incident at Evans Middle School involving a teacher’s disciplinary method that resulted in several students receiving burns on their hands. The teacher directed a group of students to perform “bear crawls” on the outdoor track, which was heated by the day’s high temperatures. This action resulted in multiple students being injured.

We are heartbroken over these events, as the safety and well-being of our students is our top priority. This type of incident does not reflect the standards or values of Lubbock ISD and Evans Middle School. We are addressing this matter with utmost urgency, and are fully committed to investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. The teacher involved has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of this investigation.

We want to express our deep concern and regret for the pain and distress this has caused the students and their families. No child should ever be subjected to harm in a learning environment, and we are fully committed to ensuring that incidents like this do not happen again.

Lubbock ISD has policies in place regarding appropriate disciplinary actions, and any deviation from those standards is thoroughly reviewed. We want to assure our community that we are addressing this issue in accordance with district protocols and applicable laws. Our goal is to maintain a safe, respectful, and supportive environment for all students.”