Scott Foster: Cheerleading coach who was part of sick 'coven of sexual predators' that preyed on minors kills himself
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA: A federal lawsuit has accused multiple cheerleading coaches in South Carolina, including Scott Foster who took his own life, of sexually assaulting at least six boys and girls, and providing them with drugs and alcohol. Foster, 49, was discovered dead in his vehicle on August 22 at a state park. The Greenville County Coroner's Office said that he shot himself in the head.
Altogether four girls and two boys who claimed to have been molested by Foster and others connected to Rockstar Gyms filed the lawsuit on Thursday, September 1, which implied that there may be up to 100 additional abuse survivors. The lawsuit claims that a number of individuals either knew Foster was abusing his pupils and chose to do nothing about it or did not have policies and procedures in place to prohibit the abuse. This case has been compared to that of Larry Nassar who is serving a 40-year sentence for molesting numerous US athletes over the years. "Scott Foster and his allies did their best to intimidate and isolate their targets, making these young people feel alone and somehow responsible. Well, they’re not alone anymore,” attorney Jessica Fickling’s statement read. One of the victim’s defendants has come forth and said that Rockstar Cheer was surrounded by a ‘coven of sexual predators’ that have been disguised for many years. The lawsuit has also put varsity brands in question in the wake of this shocking revelation.
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The lawsuit said that Foster and other unnamed coaches allegedly had sex with cheer students, sent and requested obscene images on social media, gave them drinks and marijuana at their houses and in hotel rooms at cheer competitions, and urged them not to tell anybody about it. One of the statements from a news conference confirmed that there was video evidence of the 49-year-old drinking beer bongs with his underage cheer students on Snapchat.
State and federal authorities are investigating Rockstar Cheer and other cheerleading establishments, confiscating computers, cellphones, and other evidence. Foster was working for the Rockstar Cheer that has more than 10 gyms under its name in South Carolina and other states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Arizona and more. Since then, over seven of those gyms have released statements that they had nothing to do with Foster and his disgraced actions, announcing to drop the Rockstar name from their establishments.
Scott’s wife Kathy Foster has conveyed her sympathies to all the survivors and victims in the case with a statement that reads, "I am heartbroken by the recent allegations made by current and former athletes from Rockstar Cheer and other cheer gyms across our community,” she said in a statement released this week. “I hope the survivors are seeking and receive the support they need. I am sympathetic to their stories.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
If you or anyone you know suspects child abuse, you are urged to immediately call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential and the hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.