Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal 2008

Five high school cheerleaders known as the Fab Five — Brooke Tippit, Ashley Benson who serves as co-captain, Jeri Blackburn, Jessica Heap, Lisa Toledo, Aimée Spring Fortier, Ashley Sanchez, Stephanie Honoré, and Tabitha Doering, Ashlynn Ross — roam the halls as the school’s mean girls, flaunting rules, drinking, bullying peers, and posting provocative pictures online. Their unruly behavior goes unchecked by teachers, parents, and administrators, and they even manage to get their coaches fired after every dispute.

When a new cheerleading coach, Emma Carr, Jenna Dewan, arrives, the dynamic shifts. The Fab Five initially push back against the newcomer, but under Carr’s steady guidance, they begin to cooperate and learn a more disciplined way of operating. Brooke grows furious with Carr when she assigns Megan Harper, Hailey Wist, the most respected member of the squad, as co-captain, challenging Brooke’s long-held authority.

The team performs well at a pep rally, yet drama erupts when Ashley Sanchez, Stephanie Honoré, is kissed by Jeri’s boyfriend. In response, the group ejects Ashley from the core lineup, effectively turning the Fab Five into the “Fab Four,” though Ashley remains a member of the squad. Carr attempts to rein in the chaos, and her authority begins to shift the group’s outlook.

Soon, the Fab Four escalate their bullying of other students, targeting Cindy Harper, Carissa Capobianco, Meagan’s younger sister, which leads to suspensions from the team. The tension peaks when the four get drunk and are caught trying to slip off campus by a security guard and the principal. They justify themselves by claiming exhaustion after a test, prompting Carr to confront the leadership and spark a broader conversation about accountability.

A discipline meeting follows, with Carr facing accusations of flirting and inconsistent punishment. Undeterred, Carr pushes the squad to master a difficult liberty stunt, rallying them through a moment of renewed teamwork. During this time, Carr also discovers Lisa Toledo’s cheating on a test; after penalizing her, Lisa storms out and later tells her father that Carr was bullying her, prompting Carr to cancel practice and send an apologetic email to the team.

Carr’s visit to the school results in her firing by the principal, and the Fab Five confront Carr as she prepares to leave. She then learns that a reporter is digging into the story of “cheerleaders gone wild” and gives an interview about the unfolding events at Jackson High School. An independent investigator is brought in, and the school’s actions come under heavy scrutiny. The Fab Four enjoy the attention and lie about their treatment, while Carr discovers the investigator’s true agenda and decides to speak candidly before leaving in anger, even crossing paths with Brooke. The question about Carr’s future at USC looms large amid the fallout.

The investigator ultimately confirms the allegations against the Fab Four and administrators, exonerating Carr but leaving the principal to shoulder the blame for the broader dysfunction. Lorene Tippit, Tatum O’Neal, and the assistant principal are suspended as a result. Brooke is pulled from the school by her mother, and the Fab Four lose their places on the team. Cameras document the departure, and Brooke’s abrupt gesture to Carr signals a tense end to the chapter.

Time passes, and Carr watches a cheer competition four months later, greeted by praise and hugs from the girls, including a newly transformed Ashley Sanchez, Stephanie Honoré. The new squad competes with renewed spirit, and Cindy Harper’s essay—written to honor Carr and recount how she stood up to the administration—reveals that Carr indeed sparked meaningful change. In the end, the team nails the difficult stunt they once struggled with, and Carr is left with a sense of pride and purpose, having helped steer the school toward a more accountable and supportive environment.