SJSU Suspends Coach Who Spoke Out About Transgender Player Blaire Fleming

OutKick has learned that San Jose State suspended associate head volleyball coach Melissa Batie-Smoose indefinitely, effective as of Saturday. 

UPDATE: Batie-Smoose spoke with OutKick later on Saturday and said she believes that SJSU is trying to silence her. Read the story with her comments here.

The SJSU players were informed prior to the team's match against New Mexico and many of the team members were emotional upon learning of the news, according to sources.

San Jose State said in a statement to OutKick: 

"The associate head coach of the San Jose State University women’s volleyball team is not with the team at this time, and we will not provide further information on this matter." 

Batie-Smoose filed a Title IX complaint against the school earlier this week. 

The assistant coach not only filed a complaint, but spoke to an outlet about the toxic culture created by having transgender player Blaire Fleming on the team. 

As a result of that interview, San Jose State issued a statement to OutKick: 

"San José State takes all reports and complaints seriously and is reviewing them. Due to federal and state privacy laws, the University is not able to comment on active reports or complaints," the statement read. 

OutKick has learned that San Jose State has suspended associate head coach Melissa Batie-Smoose(left), who recently spoke out about transgender volleyball player Blaire Fleming (right). 

(San Jose State University Athletics)

"The University also has concerns about a number of inaccuracies in the article but is not able to comment further on those in light of those privacy laws. In addition, the University has significant concerns about apparent breaches of student and employee privacy and will be addressing those, as appropriate." 

Apparently, after taking a few days to review the "breaches of student and employee privacy," the school made the decision to suspend Batie-Smoose. 

Reportedly, according to the Title IX complaint filed by the associate head coach and obtained by Quillette, Fleming allegedly conspired with an opponent to help San Jose State lose a match and attempt to injure teammate Brooke Slusser. 

Fleming and another unnamed Spartans' player met with Colorado State player Malaya Jones prior to the two teams playing on October 3, the complaint continues. 

Batie-Smoose says that Fleming and the teammate left the team hotel, a violation of team policy, the night before the match to visit Jones at her residence. 

During this meeting, Fleming allegedly gave Jones scouting reports for San Jose State and made a deal not to defend shots from Jones that would be hit towards Slusser. 

Malaya Jones of the Colorado State Rams jumps up to spike a ball against San Jose State during an October 3 match. Blaire Fleming is accused of helping Jones and the Rams target Spartans' teammate Brooke Slusser.

(Colorado State University Athletics)

According to Quilette, Batie-Smoose learned of this meeting after the unnamed Spartans' player confessed to head volleyball coach Todd Kress. 

Slusser has spoken publicly many times about Fleming's inclusion on the team being unfair. She first spoke on September 30. 

The match against Colorado State was San Jose State's first after Slusser went public with her concerns about Fleming, which led Batie-Smoose to surmise that Fleming conspired with Jones as part of a revenge plot against Slusser. 

OutKick reached out to the Mountain West to ask if the conference was aware of the allegations.

According to a Mountain West spokesperson, the conference "became aware of [the] complaint when it was filed earlier this week." 

The spokesperson added that the conference was "reviewing the document and have initiated an investigation to gather all the facts." 

The Mountain West Conference is investigating whether Blaire Fleming and San Jose State volleyball engaged in match-fixing during their October 3 contest against Colorado State. 

(San Jose State Athletics)

OutKick reached out to Colorado State regarding the allegations, but the university did not respond to a request for comment. 

If these allegations are true, they are incredibly serious. Not only would Fleming have thrown a match, Fleming would have knowingly and purposefully endangered a teammate. 

I've written many times that Fleming deserves some empathy because Fleming is a confused young person navigating an incredibly complex situation. Fleming also hadn't technically broken any rules up to this point.

However, that empathy is gone if Fleming intentionally endangered a teammate. 

It means that Fleming is not a victim in any way, shape, or form and is just part of the bully brigade that attempts to silence all detractors by any means necessary. 

If these allegations prove to be true, Fleming should be banned from NCAA competition for life and perhaps even face criminal charges.