No charges filed against Denver cheerleading coach in forced-splits video

A Denver prosecutor says no charges will be filed following an investigation into videos showing a high school coach pushing cheerleaders down in splits.

District Attorney Beth McCann said in a statement released Saturday there was insufficient evidence to warrant charges after a police investigation.

The former coach, Ozell Williams, was dismissed after the videos became public. An East High School principal retired, and an athletic director resigned.

The recordings were broadcast on KUSA-TV in August, showing eight cheerleaders repeatedly being pushed into splits. In one video, a girl appears to cry out in pain and repeatedly asks the coach to “please stop.”

McCann says the coaching technique “has no place in high school cheerleading coaching” but that the coach’s actions don’t constitute a prosecutable crime.