I would volunteer and help coach Jackie and she has no good will with helping the team thrive. She sits and makes the girls come up with their own routine she doesn’t even do her job. She makes the girls do it for her. She’s rude, and would rather be their friend and encourage toxic behavior than be a good example and actually give them quality work and attention. She criticizing everyone and my sister was on the team, she would tell me all the horrible things Jackie would say about the cheerleaders fat shaming them and going out of her way to distrupt the cheerleaders as she viewed them as rivals to her drill team. She is a mean girl who thinks she’s still in high school and doesn’t care to make the girls have a memorable year.

As a recent alumna of Garfield High School and its cheer team I have no doubt in mind that they will not be able to thrive with Jackie as their coach. I’ve witnessed countless times her harsh and unjustifiable methods that ultimately led to my teammates dealing with self esteem and mental health issues.

Her athletes say you need “tough skin” to be in drill. Not due to physicality but to her harsh methods and inability to coach. When a couple of her athletes decided to try our for cheer she deliberately placed them in the back of routines in order to “punish them”. May I also mention that she does make these routines but instead the girls do. What’s the point of having a coach if you’re only there to offer critiques and fill a role instead of embracing what it means to lead a team? If she can’t coach her own team then there’s NO possibility she can take on another one. Especially one that is drastically different from drill. There is a safety concern for all involved.

Garfield administration loves to favor sports when it’s most convenient for them. Half my Highschool tenure was spent at school smiling and shaking my poms and improving morale because that’s what my role is as a Garfield cheerleader. Countless times I’ve smiled for news stations, done interviews, and have had my involvement in sports and academics flaunted. Yet when it comes down to it they do not truly care about the wellbeing of their students. They love to threaten athletes and wave privileges we earned in our face when we act on what’s best for athletes instead of Garfield’s image. This past year our seniors had prom and graduation threatened to be taken away as a result of us upsetting administration. Coaches from baseball, basketball, football, along with admin decided to gang up on us to scare/manipulate us into doing what’s best for Garfield’s image, Despite risking the safety of over 30+ athletes.

This is how I know they do not understand cheer as a sport and therefore is the only explanation I can give for them hiring Jackie as cheer coach.

If our athletic director really valued the well being of his athletes he’d remove this coach from both sports.

(Spracovaná)

Garfield Cheer has always been about tradition, the alumni, ELA and most importantly the athletes! Administration turned down a coach who had already accepted the position and was a perfect fit for the program. Her becoming Head Coach would’ve kept the amazing team in tact and add some amazing help. You turned down a coach who not only cheered at Garfield herself, but also returned to coach the ELA Pop Warner team an prepare them for Garfield and eventually joined the Garfield dream team which brought him the first ever CIF championship and Regionals Championship. Instead you’re bringing in a coach who not only doesn’t have the upbringing of ELA but who continuously mistreated athletes. Girls are afraid to cheer this year because they know what they’re in for. To have the athletes afraid is insane and Garfield cannot and should not allow this to happen! Administration needs to remove this coach from all teams. Shame on Administration for not putting the athlete’s well being first!

As a parent to a GHS cheerleader I can’t seem to understand why the athletic department and administration would allow a coach that verbally abuses, fat shames and encourages her drill team to disrespect our cheerleaders. I don’t understand why Jackie is even allowed to direct any team within GHS for that matter. I saw first hand the dedication the former Cheer coaches provided our cheerleaders, the motivational speeches at every game and competitions, the recognitions to all the girls efforts, the way they encouraged the girls to give their 100 percent at all times, how they encouraged the girls to meet up and play cheer games at game night during half time with opposite teams, to simply making them blankets and gift bags with treats to show the girls a sense of gratitude for all their accomplishments. This team of coaches made our girls CIF and regional CIF champions, if our girls earn these achievements it was all because they had a team of coaches that believed in them and turn them into a sisterhood .. a family and that is only done by coaches that know how to teach with love and respect. Bring our coaches back GHS!

This program and the cheerleaders are extremely important to me! They deserve nothing but the best.

Firing Coaches for no reason at all is so dumb especially putting both drill and cheer together

As a current Garfield cheerleader, my teammates who I see as sisters, should not be left in the hands of a drill “coach”, LAUSD this is not acceptable. Many girls and alums have spoke out about her toxic energy and verbal abuse. Hearing this makes me want to not join a team and tradition that I have grown very found for. Coach Jackie should not oversee a program as prestigious as ours as she lacks knowledge of various practices such as tumbling, stunts, and cheer comps. The athletic director and administration know that both squads should be independent teams for certain reasons. Letting drill and cheer become one has never been a good thing, just look at previous attempts. I, myself, do not feel comfortable or confident going into a season with bad energy amongst us squads already. At the end of the day, we are supposed to be happy with our sport, not trying to protest about our necessities AKA a well experienced coach.

Garfield cheer are very talented girls who deserves a coach that truly cares for the team and their potential not for holding the title of Coach the girls have suffered a lot already and deserves the best

Let's stand together as a community and give a voice back to our(cheer girls) amazing dedicated young talent without unnecessary changes imposed by administrative procedures.

It’s for the kids

This petition is important to me because the Garfield High School cheerleading team, has faced an unjust and unexpected upheaval with the firing of their entire coaching staff. As someone who may not be directly part of this community, I have friends who were dedicated cheerleaders, and I understand the profound impact such a change can have on the athletes and the community.

Cheerleading is not just a sport; it is a discipline that fosters teamwork, dedication, and school spirit. The Garfield High School cheerleading team, recently crowned CIF champions, has demonstrated excellence and commitment that should be celebrated and supported. The sudden dismissal of their coaching staff, without any transparent explanation, undermines the values of fairness and respect that the school community upholds.

The appointment of the drill coach to oversee both drill and cheer, and the decision to merge these distinct programs, is a disservice to the specialized training and unique traditions of cheerleading. This merger threatens to dilute the skills, passion, and identity that the cheerleaders have worked tirelessly to cultivate. It is essential to recognize and preserve the individuality and significance of each program.

By supporting this petition, I advocate for the reinstatement of the cheerleading coaches or, at the very least, a transparent and justified explanation for their removal. I stand with the cheerleaders in their quest for justice and the preservation of their sport’s integrity. This issue resonates beyond Garfield High School, as it highlights the importance of transparency, respect, and support for student-athletes everywhere.

We must ensure that the Garfield High School cheerleaders receive the justice they deserve and continue to inspire and lead with their exemplary spirit and dedication.

Supporting cheer girls

I want to support the community and the school

The reason why this petition is important to me, is as a former cheer leader myself ( hp cheer) NO cheerleader should have their coach taken away and get replaced with someone who has no cheer coach experience and is meant to be a coach for a drill team.

(Spracovaná)

I was in Cheerwhen I was at Garfield and we need the proper coach to be a successful cheer team

To give the girls what they deserve. A coach who will give all their effort and dedication to these young champions.

Many people may not understand the feeling of cheering, nor may understand how it’s a sport. If you play any other sport such as Football it’s like having a lineman coach teach safety or any other position. Give these kids REAL coaches who can benefit the school & community.

this is not only unfair to the coach’s but unfair to the girl that are wanting to experience the world of cheerleading and becoming leaders why ruined it by putting someone who isn’t fit for the position!!

These coaches are so nice they keep the team together and have the best performances i would hate to see them go so please dont let them leave

My niece is in cheer and that has helped her stay motivated with keeping good grades. This is her passion and distraction which has helped a lot with discipline

Because cheer is great

Because I have nothing but heard great things about these cheer coaches and I would love to have them as a coach if I am lucky enough to make the team

As a Garfiled alumni, I support all the extra curricular activities to help keep our youth occupied and off the streets.

!@#$! the drill coach! You can’t mix 2 sports into one. bring back the cheer head coach ! Whoever fired her is a !@#$! nigga !

n/a

My daughter has been part of cheer for the past 2 years and loves her coaches. We’ve heard very nasty things from the new assigned head coach. We don’t want her!

This petition is important to me because Garfield high school has never ONCE combined cheer and drill and it would be such an insult and disgrace to our school and alumni's.

they are both different sports and that they can’t be together. They have been separated because cheer is more stunts and drill is more dancing.

Give kids options other than the main sports school provide

It’s important because they need there own group not everyone can be part of the same one each sport is different from the other.