The controversy surrounding the San Jose State women’s volleyball team has taken another turn.
Former San Jose State University assistant coach Melissa Batie-Smoose has filed a lawsuit over her alleged treatment during the program’s scandal involving transgender athlete Blaire Fleming, according to FOX News.
Batie-Smoose, who worked as a SJSU assistant coach for two seasons being getting suspended and eventually relieved of her coaching duties, is alleging that the program’s head coach, Todd Kress, mocked her for supporting Donald Trump in front of their players.
She also claimed that Kress had a hostile reaction to her religious beliefs, which included her belief that a biologically male athlete should not be allowed to compete in female sports.
Kress allegedly called Batie-Smoose, “‘Trump-loving” and a “Trump lover” according to the complaint. She also claimed that he, “cornered, yelled at, and berated her”, which led to her feeling unsafe at the school.
According to Batie-Smoose’s complaint, interactions like these deteriorated her relationships with players and negatively impacted her standing within the volleyball program and the school.
In January, the Trump administration concluded that San Jose State University discriminated against women by letting a transgender athlete play on the women’s volleyball team.
Two months later, SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson announced that the school and the California State University (CSU) system are suing the federal government to challenge the US Department of Education’s discrimination determination.
Batie-Smoose submitted a Title IX complaint alleging failures to address concerns regarding the transgender athlete and the female players on that season’s team in October of 2024. She was placed on paid administrative leave days later.
San Jose State has not provided a response to Batie-Smoose’s most recent lawsuit.
