Title IX lawsuit filed by athletes from five universities in transgender volleyball dispute

A lawsuit has been filed against the Mountain West Conference, the California State University system, and three San Jose State University staffers, including the women’s volleyball team head coach, over allowing a transgender athlete to play on the team. The plaintiffs, including SJSU volleyball co-captain Brooke Slusser and other student athletes, claim their Title IX rights are being violated. The suit seeks to prevent the alleged transgender player from participating in an upcoming conference tournament. The Mountain West Conference is taking the allegations seriously but did not comment on the pending litigation. San Jose State University is reviewing the suit but has not provided further comment. The suit also follows reports that the women’s volleyball associate head coach Melissa Batie-Smoose is currently not with the team for undisclosed reasons. The lawsuit’s plaintiffs are seeking to have the transgender player barred from the tournament and have losses from forfeited games removed from team records. The controversy has led to increased security for the team at matches and has received support from some political figures who believe in fairness in women’s sports. Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez expressed sadness over the canceled games and the negative attention the issue has received.

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