DALLAS — On Thursday, two women filed lawsuits in Dallas County alleging they were abused as minors by Jason McCartney, a Cheer Athletics coach and co-owner of its Austin affiliate, during practices at a Garland facility in Dallas County, as well as at various other Cheer Athletics Texas gyms.

Cheer Athletics is one of the top cheer organizations in the country, with more championship titles than any other program, a dozen gyms across the United States and its flagship gym in Plano, Texas, featured on the acclaimed Netflix series "Cheer."

The lawsuits, both filed under Jane Doe pseudonyms to protect the plaintiffs’ identities, come in the wake of a July lawsuit filed against Cheer Athletics and McCartney by Hannah and Jessica Gerlacher, twins who allege they were abused by McCartney beginning when they were 15 years old. Both Jane Does were afraid to speak out until they heard the Gerlachers’ story and realized they were not alone.

“We are humbled that our story has helped other survivors confront the person and organization in which we mistakenly placed our trust,” said Hannah and Jessica Gerlacher. “We will continue to do everything we can to force Cheer Athletics to change and to ensure this abuse doesn’t continue happening to other athletes at Cheer Athletics or in the sport of Cheer in the future.”

Officials at Cheer Athletics denied any wrongdoing in the Gerlacher case. A spokesperon said in July the company acted quickly to determine that McCartney’s interactions with the twins were limited to team practices and optional tumbling lessons, during which time the girls would have always been in plain view of dozens — if not hundreds — of athletes, coaches and parents, according to the statement.

“In this instance, the Gerlachers never made Cheer Athletics aware of their allegations against Mr. McCartney during their years as athletes or in the nearly six years since they left the program,” said Jody Melton of Cheer Athletics in the released statement.

Officials at Cheer Athletics, including McCartney, could not immediately be reached Thursday for comment on the new lawsuits.

Dallas attorney Michelle Simpson Tuegel, who represents both Jane Does and the Gerlachers, also represented victims of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.

“Cheer Athletics’ failure to protect minors from sexual predators is extensive and well-documented, and Jason McCartney’s position as a coach and co-owner of its Austin gym put countless minor athletes at risk,” she said. “Nothing can take away the damage that has been done, but we hope to get our clients some measure of justice and hold those responsible fully accountable so that this does not happen again.” 

The first lawsuit filed Thursday is on behalf of a former athlete at the Cheer Athletics’ former Garland gym, which was located in Dallas County. As a minor, Jane Doe 1 trained with McCartney, competing on several of his teams and taking private lessons with him. When she was twelve years old, according to the suit, McCartney began engaging in inappropriate and sexual contact with her during training, unnecessarily touching her breasts, buttocks and genital area, pressing his genitals against her, and telling her to sit on his lap.

The second lawsuit is filed on behalf of Jane Doe 2, who practiced cheer primarily at Cheer Athletics’ Garland gym during high school and regularly interacted with McCartney. According to this second suit, while she was a minor, McCartney would often inappropriately touch her breasts, buttocks and inner thigh, disguising the abuse as a hug. He called her his “baby girl” and told her she was “beautiful.” The plaintiff also witnessed McCartney putting his hands on the buttocks of other minors rather than their backs when acting as a spotter.