Jets to pay $324K to settle cheerleaders' wage lawsuit

HACKENSACK, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets have agreed to pay nearly $324,000 to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by cheerleaders who claimed they were cheated out of wages and forced to cover work-related expenses.

The 52 women involved in the suit said they were paid $150 per game and issued cheerleader uniforms, but weren't paid for practices and other work, said Patricia Pierce, an attorney for the unidentified former cheerleader who filed the lawsuit in August 2014 in Bergen County, N.J., where the team plays. Pierce said they were also forced to pay for their makeup, hair care and transportation.

"When you figure all that up, they were making less than minimum wage," Pierce told The Record newspaper.

The lawsuit is one of several filed against NFL teams as the league faces pressure from lawmakers to pay cheerleaders in accordance with labor laws.