Male cheerleader claims gender discrimination kept him off Tomball Memorial HS squad

TOMBALL, Texas – A world-class cheerleader believes he did not make his high school team because of gender discrimination.

LC Hollies, 17, is a junior at Tomball Memorial High School. Hollies found out Friday he did not make the high school squad, but has already earned two national championships with another competitive Texas team.

WATCH: LC Hollies' cheer moves

Hollies said his high school's tryout process was intentionally geared toward accepting only female members. He was the only boy to try out.

Tomball Memorial High School has never had a male cheerleader, according to the Hollies.

"There was zero criteria for boys in the tryout process I know because I've worked with some of the best in the industry they've taught me almost everything I know," Hollies said.

Hollies said he was disappointed, but has already moved on from the experience.

He and his mom may fight the decision, however, according to Trisha Daniel-Hollies, LC's mother.

"Title IX says he can't be discriminated against because of gender," Daniel-Hollies said Monday.

But federal anti-discrimination laws have been murky when it comes to cheerleading, partly because a court ruling in 2012 upheld that cheerleading does not constitute a sport by Title IX definitions.

Tomball ISD issued a statement Monday afternoon:

"Male students are allowed to tryout for cheerleading teams in Tomball ISD. Tomball ISD hires five National Cheerleaders Association judges to judge candidates during tryouts. The lowest and highest scores are dropped to prevent any bias, and the students’ routine scores are comprised of the three remaining scores. Students have five days after the tryout to request their score sheets.

"The particular Tomball Memorial student you mentioned had a week to prepare for a modified female routine. The modified routine was created in order to improve the opportunity to have a successful tryout and was intended to be more in line with the standard routine for male cheerleaders. During tryouts the student chose not to perform the routine."