San Jose State University (SJSU) has been at the center of boycotts and controversy lately. Why? Because they have a man on their women's volleyball team. Blaire Fleming is a man who identifies as a woman and plays on the SJSU women's volleyball team. Several other women's team have forfeited matches rather than risk injury.
It's incredibly unfair, and unjust. And it's just plain unsafe. Men have physical advantages over women and should not be allowed to compete against them in sports. Ever.
But things are not good at SJSU. Their assistant volleyball coach has filed a Title IX complaint about the situation:
BREAKING THREAD
— Jennifer 🟥🔴🧙♀️🦉🐈⬛ 🦖 (@babybeginner) November 1, 2024
Holy cow!! The assistant volleyball coach at San Jose St Uni (SJSU), the team with the boy on it, has filed a Title IX complaint over this against her own school. Melissa Batie-Smoose is standing with the girls and the allegations are astounding!!
1/ pic.twitter.com/UobuVWv5xm
Here are some of her allegations:
Allegedly, things are falling apart at that school. It sounds like an absolute nightmare for all the girls on the team.
— Jennifer 🟥🔴🧙♀️🦉🐈⬛ 🦖 (@babybeginner) November 1, 2024
For one thing, they are afraid of being hurt in practice. When the boy spikes the ball the girls are turning away! They don’t want to be hurt. 2/
17-year-old Payton McNabb was left with brain damage and paralysis after being hit in the face by a spiked volleyball.
It hurts to get hit by one hit by a girl, not to mention a boy.
They tried complaining to the head coach, but he is on the boy’s side. Maybe bc his job is being threatened or maybe bc he is a true believer, but he is calling the girls on the team bigots for complaining.
— Jennifer 🟥🔴🧙♀️🦉🐈⬛ 🦖 (@babybeginner) November 1, 2024
This is not going over well. 3/
Shame on the coach, if he's a 'true believer' and shame on the people pressuring him if he's not.
All but three of the women are unhappy about this situation. There is incredible tension. The players are mad the head coach. He is calling them names. Players are skipping practice. People are supposedly very unhappy. 4/
— Jennifer 🟥🔴🧙♀️🦉🐈⬛ 🦖 (@babybeginner) November 1, 2024
We don't blame them for being unhappy. This is wrong.
The team captain is reportedly having her scholarship threatened for speaking up.
— Jennifer 🟥🔴🧙♀️🦉🐈⬛ 🦖 (@babybeginner) November 1, 2024
The ladies don’t like to lose but they also don’t feel like a win is a win either. There is no joy. Even if they win a championship it won’t be a real win. 5/
Women are losing opportunities and awards because of this.
When is enough enough?
The team captain is put in the position of wanting to help her team win but not feeling like it’s fair. She is alleged to feel numb about it all.
— Jennifer 🟥🔴🧙♀️🦉🐈⬛ 🦖 (@babybeginner) November 1, 2024
Can you imagine what they are putting these women through? 6/
It's disgraceful.
One woman allegedly had a panic attack in class when it was revealed to that she was on this volleyball team. The story about this is heartbreaking. 7/
— Jennifer 🟥🔴🧙♀️🦉🐈⬛ 🦖 (@babybeginner) November 1, 2024
Everything about this is maddening.
And then there is an allegation that the boy and a player from an opposing team colluded to have the ball repeatedly spiked at the team captain. I’m summarizing this and you just have to read this article. 8/
— Jennifer 🟥🔴🧙♀️🦉🐈⬛ 🦖 (@babybeginner) November 1, 2024
This is bullying and abuse.
There is so much in this story that if it turns out to be true is absolutely astounding. I’ve been at this a long time and my jaw was open reading most of it.
— Jennifer 🟥🔴🧙♀️🦉🐈⬛ 🦖 (@babybeginner) November 1, 2024
Their entire volleyball program is melting down it appears. 9/
Every girl should walk.
Let the team be the coach and Blaire and no one else.
Read the whole thing here. You have to read this. Seriously.
— Jennifer 🟥🔴🧙♀️🦉🐈⬛ 🦖 (@babybeginner) November 1, 2024
Whoever thought this was an ok thing to do was not thinking. https://t.co/rqzpc1KOax
They were not thinking. At all.
Join the Conversation
VIP members get the ability to comment on articles.