Courtney Lenz Barred From Ravens Cheerleader Super Bowl Sideline: Gaining 2 Pounds, Planning To Retire Gets Veteran Home Seats

Courtney Lenz, 23, is barred from traveling to New Orleans for the Super Bowl with her cheerleading squad despite of her three years of experience. The Baltimore native has unfairly been omitted because she planned to retire after this season. Previously, the cheerleader was benched by the team for gaining two pounds.

"I wouldn't even have reached out and let fans know if I didn't think it was clearly wrong," Lenz told ABCNews.com. "I'm just devastated by the whole situation. This was very unexpected... I didn't even think there would be a chance of me not going with being a five-year veteran."

When she received the unfortunate news, she expressed her disbelief on Facebook, "I'm still in shock!!! I can't believe I'm headed to New Orleans in two weeks!!! Couldn't be happier to be part of such an amazing team :) What an amazing way to end my cheerleading career!!! GO RAVENS ALL THE WAY BABY!!!!!"

Raven fans and other supporters started petition and a Facebook page online to get the Raven's organization's attention to send the veteran cheerleader. The petition received more than 1,300 signatures and about 2,200 likes on Facebook.

The petition stated, "Courtney announced she was retiring during the last home game at the end of the season which didn't go well with the director [of the cheerleading program]." The petition added that she was a college student and had received her degree this year and a full time job, "She was told she didn't put in as many appearance hours this season as she did the past four years while in college."

The petition continued, "They also stated she struggled with weight on occasion and she had been benched for [a] two-pound weight gain during a game earlier in the fall, which is absurd, unhealthy and a complete inaccurate measurement of a woman's "appearance" and size!"

Lena started to cheer for the Raven's organization as a freshman in college and decided to retire after this season due to a new marketing job. "They've been really hard on me this year since I told them I was leaving,' Lenz said. 'I was the only three-plus year veteran that [is] not going. I immediately thought it was a mistake."