Former Pickett Cheer Coach Speaks Out Against School District

A former Pickett County volunteer cheer coach is speaking out against the school district for their treatment of LGBT students.

Angie Nichols coached high school cheer students in the fall of 2018. At that time, Nichols said she was approached by Director of Schools Diane Elder about preventing two students from joining the team.

“When I asked why, [Elder] said that it would upset members of the community, that this student was gay, and that this just could not happen,” Nichols said. “There was a girl that was lesbian or confused about her sexuality, and she didn’t really believe that [the student] was gay, and that she could not be on the team either.”

Nichols said she declined Elder’s request, saying the students were capable of being on the team and that denying them would create more issues for the district.

“when I let her know that it wasn’t a possibility, we couldn’t do that and I wouldn’t do that, she said that could cause a lot of problems, there’s so many people in the community that are going to be upset about this, and that I [would have to] talk to the school board members,” Nichols said. “She said that two school board members had pulled her aside during church, told her they had heard a rumor a boy was going to be on the cheer team, and that she was not to let that happen.”

Nichols said she reached out to state education officials regarding the alleged incident in November and December but did not hear back until early last week.

“I was stunned, I was shocked, I could not believe what she had said and I could not believe what I was hearing,” Nichols said. “I worked in the school system in Warren County for six years, had never heard anybody say anything like that. I could not believe that this was a superintendent of schools being so direct in asking me to do something that was just so obviously wrong.”

Elder declined to comment on the allegations early last week. Nichols, who has since moved away from Pickett County, said the state has requested additional information as they look into the matter.