California classifies cheerleaders as pro teams' employees

Professional California cheerleaders are employees entitled to workers compensation benefits as a result of a bill signed into law on Wednesday by Gov. Jerry Brown.

A.B. 202, introduced by Democratic Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez in January, states that cheerleaders affiliated with California-based professional sports teams are classified as employees.

Cheerleaders for the Oakland Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills filed separate lawsuits last year alleging they were misclassified as independent contractors and, therefore, denied certain protections, such as workers comp.

Under the new law, a cheerleader is someone who “performs acrobatics, dance or gymnastics exercises on a recurring basis,” and professional sports teams include baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey or soccer teams at the minor or major league level.