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Former cheerleaders win chapter in lawsuit against NFL

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Former Buffalo Jills cheerleaders have won another round in their legal fight against the Buffalo Bills and the National Football League.

The New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division has upheld a decision handed down in June 2016 by Erie County Supreme Court Justice Timothy Drury that certified the plaintiff's lawsuit as a class action suit.

The Bills, the NFL, and Cumulus Radio Company - formerly Citadel Broadcasting - had appealed that decision in effort to stop the case from moving forward as a class action suit.

Stejon Production Inc, which managed the Jills, suspended operations of the squad in 2014 after five former Jills filed a lawsuit claiming they were underpaid and mistreated.

According to the lawsuit, the cheerleaders worked hundreds of hours for free, were wrongly classified as independent contractors, and had to endure a 'jiggle test' in order for their boss to assess the firmness of their bodies. 

Last year the plaintiffs won a decision confirming their status as employees, not independent contractors. The decision allowed them to recover at least minimum wage for hours worked from 2008-2014.

RELATED: Ex-NFL cheerleaders suing league over claims they were underpaid