CLINTON TOWNSHIP -- A high school cheerleading adviser is being investigated for putting tape over the mouths of 16 cheerleaders during practice.
Lackawanna Trail school officials in Wyoming County say they removed Dina Berrios as cheerleading adviser as soon as they learned she placed duct tape over the mouths of members of the varsity cheer squad.
But her troubles may not end there.
As a result of the incident, school officials are reviewing her teaching status at Lackawanna Trail.
State police are investigating after a parent complained the health of his daughter, who has asthma, was jeopardized.
Cheerleaders make noise, but investigators are trying to determine why the Lackawanna Trail High School cheer squad went silent for an hour at a recent practice inside the high school gym.
Cheer adviser Dina Berrios had duct tape placed over the mouths of 16 cheerleaders.
"There's no reason to treat any kid like that," said Tamra Johnson.
In nearby Factoryville, Tamra and Chris Johnson are parents of girls who may be cheerleaders in a few years. They find the duct tape incident appalling.
"It's unbelievable, uncalled for," said Chris Johnson. "You can't do that to kids. If it was my daughter, I'd be furious."
Berrios is no longer the cheerleading adviser, but she is still employed as a sixth grade teacher at the Lackawanna Trail Elementary Center.
Newswatch 16 has learned the school district is reviewing her teaching status.
Lackawanna Trial school officials and the superintendent would not comment on the duct tape incident. The school district solicitor sent Newswatch 16 the following statement:
"During a cheerleading practice, the adviser, in an exercise in nonverbal communication, placed tape on the cheerleaders' mouths during the practice. The employee is no longer in her position as cheerleading adviser, beyond that, the district is not at liberty to discuss further."
A state police source says investigators are trying to determine if a crime happened.
The incident was in a gym with a surveillance camera, but officials are not saying if the duct-taping incident was caught on video.
Cherie Peoples of Factoryville has had two daughters taught by Dina Berrios. She hopes the district allows to Berrios to continue teaching.
"I'm surprised," said Peoples. "She does have children of her own. So I don't think she would ever do anything to harm a child."
We asked the Pennsylvania Department of Education and administrators from other school districts if duct-taping students' mouths shut is an acceptable exercise. No one we talked to even heard of the practice.
Lackawanna Trail High School is looking for a new cheerleading adviser for the upcoming basketball season