November 17th 2024.
Over the weekend, San Jose State's volleyball team took to their home court and faced off against Colorado State, winning a thrilling five-set match. However, the victory was overshadowed by a recent lawsuit filed by Spartans co-captain Brooke Slusser and others, regarding the participation of transgender women in women's college sports.
The lawsuit, seeking a court-ordered injunction, aims to ban a transgender player from competing in the upcoming Mountain West Conference championship in Las Vegas. Slusser had previously joined a class-action lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association, accusing them of discrimination for allowing transgender women to compete. In this lawsuit, she identified one of her own teammates as being transgender.
The controversy has caused five teams to forfeit games against the Spartans, including Wyoming, Boise State, Nevada, Utah State, and Southern Utah. Additionally, the team is now missing an associate head coach, Melissa Batie-Smoose, who was suspended for her vocal opposition to the rules allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Batie-Smoose even filed a Title IX complaint after an October match, alleging that the player identified by Slusser had conspired with members of the opposing team to target Slusser with spikes.
However, the Mountain West Conference conducted an investigation in cooperation with both teams and found no evidence to support Batie-Smoose's allegations. As a result, no disciplinary action will be taken, and the matter is considered closed. San Jose State officials and coach Todd Kress have both released statements, stating that the findings are consistent with their own internal conclusions and that their main priority is to field a team with integrity.
Despite the tension off the court, Saturday's game seemed relatively free of conflict. Slusser and the player she identified in the lawsuits were regularly seen strategizing together, and the crowd cheered for both sides regardless of who made a winning shot. One audience member, Oli Harter, stated that they were there to support the entire team, including the individual at the center of the conflict. Harter, along with others from the university's Pride Center and Students for a Democratic Society, were even distributing shirts in support of the player identified by Slusser.
Although the game may have seemed unifying, Harter also noted that regular attendees have become more siloed due to the uncertainty of where others may stand on the current conflict. In the past, Harter has even witnessed individuals with signs reading "keep men out of women's sports." However, for this game, signs were being checked at the entrance. Harter believes that this issue is not just about sports, but rather a larger attempt to distract from the need for change in society.
Looking ahead, San Jose State's next game will be at home against Fresno State, and the team has also qualified for the Mountain West Tournament in Las Vegas. Although the controversy continues, the players remain focused on their upcoming games. As one audience member put it, "We're here to support our team, the individual involved, and the community as a whole."
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