Buffalo Jills

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The Buffalo Jills is a cheerleading squad for the Buffalo Bills professional football team.

Video Buffalo Jills

History

The Bills had a cheerleader in 1960 known only as Buffalo Bills Cheerleaders. At the time, they were a group of eight cheerleaders of Buffalo State College. They ran the squad until 1965 and left without a cheerleader in 1966. In 1967, Buffalo Jills was founded and has grown from several young women in wool uniforms to a squad of 36 young women in more open clothing.

They annually sell the swimsuit calendar since the 2000-2001 season and participate in various events in the New York area of â€‹â€‹the West. The troop visit was a common occurrence as well and a group of eight girls spent February 22 - March 4, 2007, visiting troops in Iraq, the only NFL team on the tour at the time.

In 1986, Bills terminated his official relationship with the squad and contracted them to a third party starting with Mighty Taco's fast-food chain. The continued role of Bills (or lack thereof) in hiring squads is currently being debated in court. In December 2014, Justice Timothy Drury of the New York Supreme Court found that Bills established the terms of Jills' contract and approved them.

In 1995, seeking better respect and payment, Jills formed the first cheerleader union in the NFL.

In 2002, the new director instituted a team of Ambassadors, a group of 8-12 Buffalo Jills who did not dance on the sidelines and field. It's not just to allow the squad to more easily meet the demands of all the public appearances that are required for them to do, but allowing more young women to make the squad. The Ambassador Squad Jills is a great way to contribute to young women who do not have the necessary dancing skills to make the field, or do not have the free time to attend all the squad dance drills.

In 2006, a pair of Jills swept their first-round event in the first year of the NFL Cheerleader Playoffs before falling in the second round.

In 2008, Jills was the first NFL squad to become a multi-national, performing in "home" games both in Orchard Park, New York, and in Toronto, Ontario.

Claim and Suspension Operation

Shortly after 35 squad members were selected for the 2014 season, the lawsuit was filed on April 22 by five former Jills who accused the cheerleaders of being unpaid for their long hours of work. Management then responded 2 days later by "suspending operations" from the cheerleading squad.

On July 3, 2014, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was summoned to testify in this case after a document presented by the Bills in their defense contained his signature.

On May 28, 2015, Queens, NY Assemblywoman Nily Rozic introduced a bill in the New York State Assembly to amend the New York employment law to make it clear that professional cheerleaders are employees of their beloved team.

On May 18, 2017, the plaintiffs scored a great victory in their lawsuit because the New York District Court has decided Jills to become an excluded employee, not an independent contractor. However, the court rejected the partial summary judgment as to whether the Bills themselves were their direct employers, and the jury would decide who the employer would be unless the settlement was reached. In November 2017, Cumulus Media, which purchased Citadel Broadcasting (one of the main sponsors of Jills), entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and in January 2018, the company sought to end all debt-related debts.