BUFFALO, N.Y. -- After three seasons not on the sidelines at Buffalo Bills games, a State Supreme Court judge's ruling has some Buffalo Jills cheering once again.
In April 2014, five former cheerleaders filed a lawsuit against the Bills, the Jills director and her production company. They argued they weren't treated appropriately in the workplace and were not paid enough because of their classification as independent contractors.
A judge has ruled that the agreement the cheerleaders said they were forced to sign is not enforcable because it misclassified their employment status; that the Jills were in fact employees.
Sean Cooney, an attorney for the Jills, says he hopes this judgement will help all involved move forward.
"We've always believed that the Jills were employees and that the Bills and their partners were employers, and we think that still is the case now that the court has given us this major victory," said Sean Cooney, attorney. "Now we hope we can put this case behind us and we can talk to the Bills about getting these cheerleaders back on the field."
The Buffalo Bills did not immediately respond to requests for comment.