SJSU responds to volleyball participant mass exodus after trans athlete scandal rocked program

San Jose State College has acknowledged a current mass exodus of volleyball gamers who entered the switch portal after a controversy-riddled season involving a trans athlete on the crew. 

The college offered a press release to Fox Information Digital wherein it expressed “respect” for the current wave of gamers who’ve opted to switch. “Pupil athletes have the power to make selections about their school athletic careers, and we now have the utmost respect for that,” the assertion learn.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that seven of the crew’s gamers have entered the switch portal. 

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In an article detailing the San Jose State College Spartans’ transgender athlete scandal, the New York Occasions referred to the organic feminine athletes on the crew as “non-transgender girls.” (AP Picture/David Zalubowski)

The seven gamers who’re transferring can be leaving the crew after a season that included eight forfeited matches, common police safety, nationwide scrutiny and inner turmoil between gamers and coaches. One participant even obtained threats of bodily hurt amid the controversy.

Head coach Todd Kress even spoke about how the 2024 season was one of many “most troublesome” of his life after the crew’s loss within the convention remaining to Colorado State, in a press release offered to Fox Information Digital. 

“This has been one of the vital troublesome seasons I’ve ever skilled, and I do know that is true as properly for a lot of of our gamers and the workers who’ve been supporting us all alongside. Sustaining our give attention to the court docket and making certain the general security and well-being of my gamers amid the exterior noise have been my priorities,” Kress stated. 

The transgender participant, Blaire Fleming, is out of eligibility after finishing a fourth collegiate season in 2024. The crew’s season ended within the Mountain West Convention championship sport after it superior to the title sport by advantage of a forfeit from Boise State within the semifinal spherical. Boise State beforehand forfeited two common season video games to San Jose State amid the controversy involving Fleming, accounting for 3 of its seven convention wins through forfeit this 12 months. 

A loss to Colorado State within the convention remaining ended the season and prevented the controversy from slipping into the NCAA match. The loss successfully ended Fleming’s collegiate profession.

In September, co-captain Brooke Slusser joined a lawsuit towards the NCAA alleging this system withheld data about Fleming’s delivery gender from her and different gamers on the crew. Slusser alleged she was made to share altering and sleeping areas with Fleming with out realizing that Fleming was a organic male. 

Slusser, together with a number of different gamers within the Mountain West, filed a separate lawsuit towards the convention and San Jose State in November over Fleming’s presence. That lawsuit included testimony from former San Jose State volleyball gamers Alyssa Sugai and Elle Patterson alleging they had been handed over for scholarships in favor of Fleming. 

That lawsuit additionally alleges that San Jose State gamers spoke up about an alleged scheme by Fleming to have Slusser spiked within the face with a volleyball in a sport towards Colorado State on Oct. 3. Slusser was not spiked within the face in that sport, and an investigation by the Mountain West concluded with out discovering adequate proof of the alleged plot.

SJSU TRANSGENDER VOLLEYBALL SCANDAL: TIMELINE OF ALLEGATIONS, POLITICAL IMPACT AND A RAGING CULTURE MOVEMENT

Assistant coach Melissa Batie-Smoose was suspended by this system in early November after she filed a Title IX grievance towards the college for displaying favoritism towards Fleming over the opposite gamers, particularly Slusser. Batie-Smoose’s grievance additionally included allegations of Fleming’s plot to have Slusser spiked within the face. 

Slusser beforehand informed Fox Information Digital that Batie-Smoose’s dismissal severely impacted the morale of the crew.

“After we discovered that she was launched, a whole lot of the crew simply form of broke down and was form of freaking out, and even considered one of my teammates was like, ‘I don’t really feel secure anymore,’ as a result of there isn’t any one now that we really feel like we will go and discuss to about our issues or our precise emotions and may really converse freely in entrance of,” Slusser stated.

Slusser added that she and different gamers misplaced belief within the coaches, together with head coach Kress. 

“You may’t actually voice how you feel with out them simply making an attempt to cowl it up or act prefer it’s all OK. With Melissa, you can voice the way you felt, and she or he might consolation you and validate your emotions and a minimum of make you’re feeling heard in comparison with the opposite coaches,” Slusser stated.

Kress additionally blamed the crew that forfeited for igniting backlash towards his crew, as every forfeit caused extra controversy and media consideration.

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San Jose State Spartans gamers look on previous to the sport towards the Air Power Falcons at Falcon Courtroom at East Fitness center on Oct. 19, 2024 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Andrew Wevers/Getty Pictures)

“Sadly, others who for years have performed this similar crew with out incident selected to not play us this season. To be clear, we didn’t have fun a single win by forfeiture. As a substitute, we braced for the fallout. Every forfeiture announcement unleashed appalling, hateful messages people selected to ship on to our student-athletes, our teaching workers and lots of related to our program.” 

Nevertheless, these points didn’t cease the gamers from a minimum of having some enjoyable on what was their remaining highway journey as San Jose State Spartans for many of them. 

Slusser beforehand informed Fox Information Digital that the crew went out to a magic present collectively after they traveled to Las Vegas for the Mountain West match, and even had a crew Thanksgiving meal collectively on the crew resort with takeout from an area diner with a lot of their households. 

Nevertheless, that was not sufficient to maintain the seven gamers who’ve entered the switch portal hooked up to this system, because the crew can be dealing with a significant roster turnover because it seems to rebound on the court docket and in its popularity in 2025. 

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