Cowboys Cheerleader Suing Team After Allegedly Being Paid Less Than Mascot

Former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Erica Wilkins filed a civil suit against the team Tuesday seeking unpaid overtime and minimum wages, according to CNN's Dave Alsup.

As the lawsuit noted, Wilkins was paid a high of $16,516.01 in 2016 after earning just $12,381.09 in 2015 and $5,817.99 in 2014, her first year of employment with the team. Comparatively, Rowdy, the team's mascot who has always been male, was paid $65,000 a year or about $25 per hour.

Claire Z. Cardona of the Dallas Morning News reported Wilkins left the team in August 2017.

The cheerleader says she was supposed to be paid $8 per hour but made less than what she should have and was not paid a standard overtime rate when it was earned. She also didn't reach the federal and state minimum of $7.25.

These types of lawsuits have become common around the NFL, with cheerleaders for the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins and New York Jets bringing similar cases over the past four years.

Five former Houston Texans cheerleaders filed a suit June 1 saying they were subjected to "unfair working conditions based on their gender" and not paid what was required by law.