Nine current and former Stanford University cheerleaders say head coach Sarah Levine created a culture of fear, failed to properly address injuries and pushed athletes beyond their physical and emotional limits.
In interviews with The Stanford Daily, the cheerleaders accused Levine of repeatedly shouting at team members, humiliating them in front of their peers and, in at least one instance, urging an injured athlete to resume stunting before he had healed.
“It’s probably the most visibly abusive experience that I’ve ever had in my life,” a former cheerleader identified by the Daily as Rush said. He alleged that he suffered a concussion while on the team.
“I felt like I could not leave because I was too scared to leave.”
Levine has coached the elite California university’s cheer squad for 18 years. She did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Two of the nine students and alumni interviewed by the Stanford Daily agreed to be identified only in part to protect their online presence. The other seven spoke anonymously, saying they feared possible retaliation.
Among the most serious allegations came from Rush, who said Levine disregarded his concerns about returning to stunting after a bicycle accident in October 2024 left him with stitches in his forehead.
Roughly a week and a half after the accident, Rush returned to practice even though he remained uneasy about participating.
“I pointed out my scar on my head and said I want to be super careful it does not [get hit] and take the stitches out,” he told the Daily.
According to Rush, Levine assured him that he would be safe.
During the practice, however, another cheerleader fell from a stunt while Rush was acting as a spotter, causing the athlete’s weight to land on his head. Rush said he left the court in pain but alleged that Levine told him to perform the stunt again.
That evening, Rush said he had trouble concentrating and began stuttering while talking with a friend.
After he contacted Levine and said he believed he had suffered a concussion, she allegedly dismissed the concern and suggested he wait until the next morning to be evaluated by Stanford Athletics doctors, the Daily reported.
Rush instead went to an emergency room that night, where medical records reviewed by the Daily indicate he was diagnosed with a minor concussion.
He said he was especially angered when he learned that Levine had allegedly told teammates the concussion was the result of his earlier bicycle accident.
“I got really upset by it because I warned her that this would happen, and she told me that wouldn’t happen,” he told the Daily.
“And then I got the concussion, and now she’s telling me it’s my fault for getting the concussion, not hers.” Pictured: The team performing in a file photo. There is no suggestion those pictured are among the nine students making the claims against the head coach.
Rush eventually returned to the team but later quit after he said he was hit in the head during another stunt and Levine yelled at him for leaving the court.
Another former cheerleader, identified as Ashley, told the Daily that she suffered a significant back injury during a practice where she believed safety equipment was inadequate and too few teammates were available to spot the stunts.
The practice took place on a hard volleyball court covered with temporary mats rather than the spring floor typically used by the team. Ashley said she raised concerns about gaps between the mats, but alleged that Levine and assistant coaches dismissed them.
Ashley said she fell forward while attempting a new stunt and felt intense pain travel through her back and spine.
Despite the injury, she alleged that coaches expected her to return to stunting after missing only one or two practices, according to the report.
Several months later, Ashley said she injured the same part of her back again during another practice.
Even after consulting medical professionals, she said she felt pressured to submit extensive documentation before being allowed to sit out performances.
The allegations also describe concerns beyond physical safety. Several former cheerleaders portrayed the program as an environment marked by public embarrassment, favoritism and hostility.
One former team member, identified as Mark, filed a formal complaint with Stanford Athletics in October 2025. In it, he accused Levine of misusing her authority as head coach, the Daily reported.
“She verbally abused and humiliated me by yelling at me in front of the entire team,” Mark wrote in the complaint, which was obtained and reviewed by the Daily.
“I was met with unprofessionalism. Levine was not performing constructive coaching. Rather [her coaching] was a demeaning act.”
Mark said the experience contributed to his decision to take antidepressants. He left the squad after the 2023-24 season, saying he was unsure whether he could withstand another year in the program.
Other former cheerleaders told the Daily that Levine allegedly berated athletes while they were crying, mocked errors in front of teammates and fostered an atmosphere in which members reported on one another in an effort to win her favor.
The Post has contacted Stanford Athletics and the university for comment. An assistant athletics director told the Daily: “Stanford Athletics will continue to prioritize and support the health, safety and well-being of all individuals affiliated with its student support groups.”
