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Cheerleader sues over bikini shot firing

A former Indianapolis Colts cheerleader who was fired for posing in sexy photographs is suing the club for discrimination.

A fan sent in pictures of Malori Wampler, 27, that showed her posing in what seemed to be a painted-on bikini, without exposing any of her private parts, Indystar.com reported.

The Colts fired Wampler shortly after, but her attorney says she didn't violate any of the rules for cheerleader conduct, which disallow them from performing “any act that will or may create notoriety,” because the pictures were from before she became a Colts cheerleader.

The general counsel for the Colts, Dan Emerson, said the complaint Ms Wampler filed last week in US federal court had "zero merit," but would not elaborate why.

“It’s an unfortunate situation,” he said.

Indonesia-born Wampler claimed the Colts discriminated against her because of her ethnicity and gender based on the fact that other cheerleaders - and players at the Colts who are under similar conduct rules - were allowed to keep their jobs despite committing acts of "notoriety".

Wampler claims that other white cheerleaders had posed for similar photographs, but had not lost their jobs.

The pictures of Wampler came from when she worked at Playboy. She appeared at a number of golf outings for that company, but never posed nude.

Wampler is demanding that the Colts give her her job back, pay her wages for the period she was fired and pay for damages and compensation for having to file a lawsuit.

She was earning $US100 per game and promotional appearances.