Lawsuit claims Texan cheerleader coach called member "chunky cheek"

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A former Texan cheerleader has filed suit against the Houston Texans and cheerleading coach Altovise (Alto) Gary claiming cheerleaders weren't paid for all their work, and that cheerleaders were ridiculed for the way they looked.

According to court documents, Coach Alto allegedly told one cheerleader during the 2017 football season that she had "belly jelly" and she was a "chunky cheek."

The plaintiff also claims she was consistently not paid for several required activities like tweeting every 48 hours during the offseason, signing thousands of Houston Texans calendars, traveling to and from events around the state, and being required to get a spray tan before every game and official Texans events.

The lawsuit goes on to list several other alleged examples of Coach Alto's behavior, including telling one cheerleader of Hispanic descent that she could not have straight hair and that if she didn't have curly hair she would "find another Latina girl to replace her."

She allegedly also walked up to a cheerleader, poked her face and asked her if she had gained her "Freshman 15"; saying she looked like she "ate a plate of salt."

In a statement, the Texans said:

"We are proud of the cheerleader program and have had hundreds of women participate and enjoy their experience while making a positive impact in the local community. We are constantly evaluating our procedures and will continue to make adjustments as needed to make the program enjoyable for everyone." -(Amy Palcic, Vice President of Communications)