San José State College President Cynthia Teniente-Matson has addressed an investigation into the college by the U.S. Division of Schooling over its dealing with of a transgender volleyball participant.
SJSU will likely be investigated for potential Title IX violations over its dealing with of transgender athlete Blaire Fleming, the DOE informed Fox Information Digital earlier Thursday.
Teniente-Matson supplied an announcement to Fox Information Digital saying the college is ready to cooperate within the investigation.
“San José State College is dedicated to making sure that every one of our college students, together with our student-athletes, are handled pretty, free from discrimination, and afforded the rights and protections granted underneath federal and state regulation, together with privateness rights.
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“We comply with insurance policies and rules set forth by the California State College system and relevant regulation, and we acknowledge that, at occasions, these legal guidelines and insurance policies might intersect in complicated methods. In navigating these frameworks, our focus stays on upholding our duties whereas supporting our college students.
“Just lately, we have been notified that the U.S. Division of Schooling has initiated a directed investigation associated to Title IX in gentle of President Trump’s govt order with respect to athletics participation. As with every federal inquiry, we are going to absolutely have interaction with the method, comply with established procedures and stay clear in our compliance with all relevant legal guidelines.
“Whereas we adhere to authorized and regulatory necessities, San José State will proceed to behave inside our authority to uphold the values that outline us as an establishment. Our focus stays on our values, together with fostering an surroundings that cultivates compassion, the place each pupil has the chance to thrive. We stay steadfast in our function as a spot of studying, respect and alternative for all.”
Fleming performed three seasons on the ladies’s crew, from 2022-24, as one of many Mountain West’s prime hitters, main the crew in kills. Nonetheless, SJSU directors allegedly withheld the reality about Fleming’s beginning intercourse from different feminine gamers on the crew, in response to a lawsuit filed by 11 Mountain West volleyball gamers and a former SJSU assistant coach.
Former Spartans co-captain Brooke Slusser leads that lawsuit and alleges San José State directors and volleyball coach Todd Kress actively prevented her from figuring out Fleming’s beginning intercourse whereas assigning her to share bedrooms with the transgender athlete on most highway journeys throughout their first season collectively in 2023.
The controversy involving Fleming prompted 5 of SJSU’s opponents in 2024 to forfeit a complete of eight matches. The ultimate forfeit was a Mountain West Match semifinal in opposition to Boise State, which had already forfeited twice to the Spartans within the common season.
That forfeit despatched Fleming, Slusser and SJSU to the convention ultimate, the place they misplaced to Colorado State. The plaintiffs in Slusser’s lawsuit filed for an emergency injunction in November previous to the match in an try to have Fleming faraway from competitors and all losses by forfeit wiped from their opponents’ information. Nonetheless, federal Decide Kato Crews, who was appointed by President Joe Biden in January 2024, dominated Fleming might play.
The scenario turned so risky the crew wanted common police safety for its house and away matches. Slusser beforehand informed Fox Information Digital the expertise was “traumatizing.”
“This season has been so traumatizing that I do not also have a proudest second,” Slusser mentioned.
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Former San José State College assistant volleyball coach Melissa Batie-Smoose, who was let go from this system, was suspended from this system Nov. 2 after she filed a Title IX grievance in opposition to the college relating to its alleged dealing with of the scenario involving Fleming. The grievance included allegations that Fleming had conspired with an opponent to have former SJSU co-captain Brooke Slusser hit within the face throughout a match in October.
Batie-Smoose’s grievance alleges Fleming supplied a scouting report back to an opponent to make sure a Colorado State aggressive benefit and allegedly established a plan to arrange an opponent with a transparent lane to spike Slusser within the face throughout a match.
Slusser was by no means spiked within the face throughout that match, however Colorado State did win in straight units.
A Mountain West investigation into Batie-Smoose’s allegations didn’t discover enough proof to self-discipline any participant named within the allegations.
Slusser’s legal professional, Invoice Bock, later supplied an announcement to Fox Information Digital insisting that the investigation had been “contaminated with bias.”
SJSU transgender participant Blaire Fleming, left, and teammate Brooke Slusser went to a magic present and had Thanksgiving collectively in Las Vegas regardless of an ongoing lawsuit over Fleming being transgender. (Thien-An Truong/San Jose State Athletics)
“As a result of the MWC’s investigation was insufficient, and something however thorough, and since the MWC’s close-out letter is riddled with errors, the undersigned is issuing this rebuttal and calls for that the MWC instantly and publicly launch: (1) the investigative report ready by its investigator(s), and (2) all paperwork linked to the MWC’s claimed ‘thorough investigation’ and upon which the MWC’s choice to not proceed additional was primarily based,” Bock’s assertion mentioned.
Practically each one of many gamers on SJSU’s 2024 crew that has remaining NCAA eligibility has entered the NCAA switch portal, Fox Information Digital beforehand reported.
President Donald Trump signed an govt order Wednesday to forestall transgender athletes from competing in girls’s and ladies sports activities. The NCAA introduced Thursday it’s amending its gender eligibility coverage to fall in step with Trump’s govt order.
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