Court Dismisses Cheerleader Wrongful Death Suit

Medford cheerleader Ashley Burns. Photo courtesy Ashleyburns.memory-of.com.

– Allison Goldsberry

Middlesex Superior Court has dismissed a wrongful death suit in the death of a young Medford cheerleader in 2005.

In October 2008, Ruth Burns filed a wrongful death lawsuit three years after her daughter, 14-year-old Medford cheerleader Ashley Burns, tragically and unexpectedly died while practicing routines with her teammates.

Burns sued the owners and coaches of East Elite Cheer Gym in Tewksbury, where the girls were practicing, as well as the U.S. All Star Federation for Cheer and Dance Teams and the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators, according to a 2008 Boston Herald article.

No Medford coaches or teammates were named in the suit.

In a statement, the East Elite Cheer Gym said the suit did not result in a settlement or monetary compensation.

“Although the owners, coaches and employees of East Elite Cheer Gym are pleased with the court’s ruling, they remain saddened by Ruth Burns’ tragic loss, and East Elite Cheer Gym pledges to continue its commitment to safety in cheerleading,” said the statement.

InsideMedford.com has requested a comment from Ruth and will update the story if Burns responds.

Ashley died in the summer of 2005, just before she was to become a freshman at Medford High School. The petite Burns was often used as a flyer during cheering stunts. She was practicing an arabesque double-twist dismount when she fell, resulting in a lacerated spleen.

Ashley moved to Medford from Malden when she was three. She took karate and figure-skating lessons before moving onto gymnastics and cheerleading. On a memorial website created by friend Kali Welch, Burns said her daughter loved cheering and wanted to go to college.