UGA FIRES RELIGIOUS CHEERLEADING COACH

The University of Georgia has fired its cheerleading coach over discrimination claims filed by a Jewish cheerleading candidate:

The cheerleader, 22-year-old Jaclyn Steele, claimed her chances of making the football cheerleading team were hurt because she didn't participate in Bible studies and pregame prayers encouraged by Braswell.

"It created an atmosphere where if you were not Christian or didn't want to participate, you weren't treated as well as the other girls," said Deborah Lauter, southeast region director for the Anti-Defamation League, which helped Steele with her complaint to the university.

UGA officials didn't return repeated phone calls seeking comment. Steele declined to comment.

Steele was on the football cheering team her freshman year, but then was moved to the men's basketball squad and the women's basketball squad, seen as a demotion at the football-crazy school.

The UGA athletic department promoted Steele back to the football squad for this season without having to go through tryouts. Athletic officials took this action to try and avoid a possible lawsuit from Steele, Braswell said.

"I've had each religion and race you can imagine, and I love each of them," Braswell told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "It's reverse discrimination against me. ... I've done nothing unfair to Jackie or any of the other cheerleaders."

Braswell said she did allow students to pray but said the prayers were nonsectarian. She said once prayers were even said in Hebrew.

Braswell, a twelve year veteran to the job, was fired only after she informed the squad of the situation.