Tension mounts over end of competitive cheerleading at Downingtown West High School

The gloves are off and the pom-poms out at Downingtown West High School, where the competitive cheerleading squad has been disbanded for still unclear reasons.

Some say it’s about money, while others maintain the risk of injury is a factor. Regardless, the age-old questions of whether cheerleading is a sport has come up.

Cheerleaders and their parents at the school have asked the board to reconsider Athletic Director Jack Helm’s decision to disband the squad, as the West Chester Daily Local reports. An announcement on the school’s website listed the risk of injury as a key factor in the decision, but does acknowledge the “exorbitant competition expenses incurred by parents” as an element.

But the real story is playing out in the article’s comments. More than 20 people have weighed in about the finances, politics and high school gossip that’s at play in the decision.

One commenter got creative:

“Gimme a “W”Gimme an “H”Gimme an “O”Gimme a “C”Gimme an “A”Gimme an “R”Gimme an “E”Gimme an “S”What’s that spell? “