A former San Jose State women's volleyball assistant coach says she lost her job after sounding the alarm about a transgender player and filing a Title IX complaint. Melissa Batie-Smoose claims the university retaliated after she raised concerns that went far beyond roster politics.
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Her lawsuit, filed last week, alleges she was suspended late last year and then terminated in January for opposing what she saw as sex discrimination, via the New York Post.
She says the university punished her not for performance but for speaking up about fairness in women's sports. The filing accuses San Jose State of creating a chilling effect that discourages others from defending Title IX protections.
The situation exploded last season when it came out that transgender player Blaire Fleming was on the roster. Some opponents forfeited matches and legal action followed. Batie-Smoose's original Title IX complaint, filed last October, alleged the university favored Fleming over other players and failed to disclose Fleming's birth gender.
It didn't stop there. The filing claims Fleming plotted to spike teammate Brooke Slusser in the face during a game because Slusser had criticized Fleming's presence on the team. Shortly after Batie-Smoose filed her complaint, she was suspended. Her contract was not renewed at season's end.
Batie-Smoose has since moved to Texas and says she can't get a job as a coach despite a long track record of success. She's seeking damages, reinstatement, back pay, and an injunction to prevent biologically born female athletes from having to compete with or against transgender athletes.
The case again puts a national spotlight on the collision of gender identity, competitive fairness, and federal law. San Jose State has not publicly commented.
