Sports Editor
In the Mountain West Conference, San Jose State Women’s Volleyball is facing backlash and several lawsuits from various universities and collegiate players after rostering, 6-foot-1, transgender player Blaire Fleming. Fleming, a current red-shirt senior, transferred to San Jose State University from Coastal Carolina.
According to Fox News, Macy Petty, a Concerned Women of America legislative assistant and an NCAA volleyball athlete, claims that she felt “blindsided because the governing body – the NCAA – of the league has not informed teams of the presence of transgender players on opposing teams.” Brooke Slusser transferred from the University of Alabama to SJSU for her final year of eligibility for collegiate volleyball. After joining the SJSU Women’s Volleyball, Slusser learned of Fleming’s gender identity after overhearing students. Thus, SJSU did not immediately tell Slusser of Fleming’s gender identity and did not openly convey the topic while the two roomed together on road trips. According to players on the SJSU team, “The lawsuit alleged that team members were instructed not to speak about Fleming’s gender with people outside the team.” Several teammates noticed that Fleming’s spikes were traveling up to 80 mph, and they were concerned that concussions or other injuries might arise.
In addition to San Jose State players filing lawsuits, Ellis Fox from Texas A&M University, Ellie Eades from University of Kentucky, and Ainsley Erzen from University of Arkansas are plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which accuses the NCAA of breaking the rules of Title IX. As Amy Larson from KRON4 reported, “[The] National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Transgender Eligibility Policies [violates] Title IX ‘by allowing men to compete on women’s teams in intercollegiate sports.’” The lawsuit claims that “transgender athletes have athletic advantages over women. The NCAA’s rules require universities and student-athletes to ‘uncritically accept and comply with the subordination of women’s rights to the interests of a relatively small number of men.’”
Recently, Utah State University, University of Wyoming, Boise State University, and Southern Utah University have forfeited their conference matches because of Fleming’s gender identity and closed communication of their sexual orientation. State governors have continuously spoken about the importance of maintaining rights for women in sports and not jeopardizing female athletics. In a recent statement, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon said, “I am in full support of the decision by Wyoming athletics to forego playing its volleyball match against San Jose State. It is important we stand for integrity and fairness in female athletics.” Utah Governor Spencer Cox continued, “‘It is essential that we preserve a space for women to compete fairly and safely. Our female athletes are left grappling with this difficult issue because the NCAA has failed in its responsibility to protect female athletes and women’s sports.’”
(Sources: Fox News, KRON4)
Categories: School Sports, Sports