Former SJSU Volleyball Player Brooke Slusser and Transgender Athlete Blaire Fleming at Center of Controversy and Legal Actions
Melissa Batie-Smoose, a former San Jose State assistant volleyball coach, has publicly defended former player Brooke Slusser amid disputes involving transgender athlete Blaire Fleming. Batie-Smoose spoke out in Fox News Digital and has filed a lawsuit against SJSU following her termination.
The controversy centers around disputed claims made by Blaire Fleming, who alleged that Slusser has been anorexic since 2023 and failed classes. Slusser denies these claims, attributing her academic difficulties to stress, especially following the discovery of Fleming's transgender status in April 2024, a fact she alleges she was never initially informed of. Slusser describes significant weight loss from 160 to 128 pounds and a nine-month loss of her menstrual cycle due to stress.
Slusser and Fleming were both named to the Mountain West all-conference team. Despite this, the dispute has had major consequences for San Jose State’s volleyball program, which finished the season 14-7 but forfeited six games and lost the Mountain West championship final to Colorado State, 3-1. The controversy attracted national attention, including coverage by Fox News where former President Donald Trump mentioned the scandal in an October 2024 event. Police protection was assigned to the team amid heightened tensions.
In response to the situation, the Mountain West Conference commissioned a third-party investigation into Fleming's eligibility and handling. This investigation found insufficient evidence to discipline Fleming. Meanwhile, Slusser joined Riley Gaines' September 2024 lawsuit against the NCAA. Later in 2024, Slusser and ten other plaintiffs sought a preliminary injunction to rule Fleming ineligible and to reverse the forfeits, but the request was denied by Judge Kato Crews.
Following the contentious fall 2024 season, Slusser left campus and moved to North Carolina to coach youth volleyball and plans to start a dietetics business while finishing her degree. Fleming chose to study remotely from Virginia. Concurrently, the U.S. Department of Education began investigating San Jose State University for potential Title IX violations related to the matter.
Batie-Smoose highlighted Slusser's early excellent performance on the team and underscored the significant impact of the ongoing pressure on her wellbeing throughout this dispute.
