On Sunday, March 27, 2022, Vigiland D’Haiti, an Orlando-area cheerleading coach and high school choreographer, was arrested at his Winter Garden home on multiple counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of victims ages 12 to 15. According to news reports, a warrant was issued on D’Haiti in Lake County for allegedly molesting several teens at World Cheer Center, Home of the Rush AllStars, located at 345 Hatteras Ave, Clermont, FL, for almost a decade. The body camera footage shows officers cuffing him, but D’Haiti begged officers to cuff him with his hands in front.
In January 2022, the Clermont Police Department received several reports claiming that D’Haiti had sexually inappropriate contact with at least three children aged 14 and 15 between 2013-2021. According to the arrest affidavit, there has been an ongoing investigation on D’Haiti for over four months regarding his inappropriately touching his students. The report states D’Haiti would touch the girls’ hips and butts when he hugged them. Detectives found evidence that he also communicated with his students on Snapchat (Vig79) and Facebook. The report says that Vigiland D’Haiti would Snapchat the girls and say things like, ‘You don’t love me?’ “I love you, I miss you,” and “You’re my favorite.” One of the alleged victims reported that he would make her sit on his lap to feel his erection.
During the investigation, the Clermont Police Department reached out to DCF (Department of Children & Families) and learned there had been two potential victims who reported inappropriate behavior by D’Haiti in 2020. They also found another arrest on D’Haiti for alleged sexual misconduct, but that case was closed.
The Clermont Police released a statement by Sergeant Erin Razo stating, “The detectives have worked very diligently on this. We immediately contacted the USASF (United States All-Star Federation), and D’Haiti was immediately suspended, so he has not been able to work in the gym that he owns here in the city.” Police also said the national cheer organization sent letters to the parents of cheerleaders to let them know about the allegations.
One of the student’s parents commented, “I think it’s every parent’s worst nightmare, really. It’s becoming commonplace, and it’s something very alarming.”
Vigiland D’Haiti, 39, is the co-owner of World Cheer Center, Home of the Rush AllStars. This Clermont gymnastics facility teaches children ages 3 to 18 years old. According to the Rush AllStars website, Vigiland D’Haiti, or “Coach Vig,” as the students called him, has been involved in cheerleading for 20 years.
D’Haiti is also a Popwarner Nationals Judge, high school choreographer, and head all-star coach for the Rush Allstars. D’Haiti was hired in 2005 at Cypress Creek High School in Orange County as a computer tech teacher and cheer coach. He also was with Lake County Schools a couple of times, most recently at Dr. Phillips High Schoo and at East Ridge High School from 2016 to 2019. In January, he was placed on leave and is under investigation by the district’s Office of Professional Standards.
D’Haiti has been released on a $30,000 bond, pending investigation and trial.
It is expected that any institutions in which children learn and develop skills offer an environment in which they are safe from violence, bullying, harassment, and sexual abuse. Athletic coaches are entrusted to facilitate learning and support the educational and training needs of their players. Anyone who sexually violates children has no place working in the community or school athletic programs. Any organization in which such a crime is committed must take responsibility for failing to properly screen potential coaches and protect their players.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing survivors of sexual abuse. We have handled multiple cases of sexual abuse by authority figures in schools. If you or a loved one was sexually abused, assaulted, raped, or molested by a coach, principal, teacher, or other school employees, contact our law firm at 888-283-9922 or send an e-mail to sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz at [email protected] for a free consultation.