Governor Brown Signs AB 202 Making Cheerleaders Employees

On July 15, 2015, California Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 202.  This new law requires California-based minor or major league baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey, or soccer to treat cheerleaders as employees, not independent contractors, when they perform during exhibitions or games.   This means that California cheerleaders are now afforded the full protection of all California employment laws, including protections against discrimination, harassment, and retaliation as well as minimum wage protection, unemployment insurance, and workers’ compensation.