MIAMI – It seems the Miami Heat mascot might be in some hot water.
A Miami-Dade County teacher claims Burnie injured her during an April 2013 pep rally at Caribbean Elementary School hosted by the team.
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"The purpose of the pep rally was to entertain the school children and teachers and thereby promote goodwill towards the Miami Heat organization," Susan Sanchez said in the complaint, according to a report by the Courthouse News Service.
Sanchez said Burnie asked volunteering teachers to stand in front of the students and participate in a dance. Despite a back injury for which she underwent surgery in 2008, Sanchez agreed to take part.
The lawsuit claims that Burnie, suddenly and without consent, touched Sanchez "and attempted to lift her leg past 90 degrees and push out her right leg in an effort to have her do a split."
Sanchez said the mascot persisted despite her requests for Burnie to stop pulling on her.
She eventually "fell to her knees and ultimately sustained a labral tear of her left hip and now suffers from complex regional pain syndrome type 1," the lawsuit claims.
Sanchez said she continues to suffer from pain from the incident and has been unable to return to work.
Her husband, Carlos Sanchez, is a co-plaintiff in the lawsuit. It seeks unspecified damages.
The Heat did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
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