Pro-Women Chants From Crowd Draw School Ire As SJSU, Blaire Fleming Face Mountain West Rival
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The San Jose State women's volleyball team lost to San Diego State on Saturday.
SJSU transgender player Blaire Fleming attracted a record crowd, a good portion of which were advocates of women's rights in sports who made known their stance against Fleming's participation.
It was that outspoken advocacy for protecting women's sports that eventually caught the attention of SDSU staff members.
San Jose State, Blaire Fleming lost to SDSU on Saturday, Nov. 9. (Alejandro Avila / OutKick)
((Alejandro Avila / OutKick))
BLAIRE FLEMING's SJSU TEAM ATTRACTS BIG CROWD AT SDSU
According to a security member at Peterson Gym in San Diego, the average attendance at SDSU volleyball matches was around 100. The crowd on Saturday appeared to be three times larger.
That larger than normal crowd was humming about the 6-foot-1 trans player visiting San Diego to take on the female Aztecs. A "Save Women's Sports" banner made an appearance.
During the match, several attendees, including SDSU's campus Turning Point staff members, led "No men in women’s sports" chants.
SDSU staff were on high alert for forms of "hate speech" during Fleming's visit.
The security member, who has worked at several Aztec sporting events, stated that the fans did not violate any guidelines. An attendee in the opposing bleachers, sitting by SDSU staff, complained to security about the chanting fans, trying to have them removed.
This fan tried to get the chanting fans booted. (Alejandro Avila / OutKick)
(Alejandro Avila / OutKick)
"Free speech," the security member answered when asked if the fans broke venue rules.
SDSU Staffer Attempts To Stop 'No Men in Women's Sports' Chant
Fleming's presence sparked several chants.
During the penultimate set, SDSU's Associate Athletic Director of Operations, Dave Noll, approached one of the fans leading the chants.
SDSU's Turning Point chapter identified the attendee as Patrick Higuera.
Noll approached the bleachers to reach Higuera's seat, accompanied by venue security.
The SDSU staffer informed Higuera that he violated Mountain West Conference guidelines by leading chants that promoted keeping men out of women's sports.
Noll positioned himself face-to-face with Higuera.
"Shame on you for not protecting women," Higuera said to Noll.
(Videos provided by Marci Strange / Turning Point USA's Mariam Alnajjar)
SDSU Staffer Confronts Fan At SJSU Match - 2
SDSU Staffer Confronts Fan At SJSU Match
OutKick contacted SDSU about what unfolded between Higuera and Noll.
A statement on behalf of SDSU Athletics read, "Our staff are trained to intervene in interactions in which there are disruptions, complaints or reported concerns, which occurred, and guidelines and policies are in place that help to ensure a safe environment for our student-athletes, staff and guests.
"Our athletic events are opportunities to support our teams, celebrate our community, and set a positive example for our student-athletes and guests. Poor behavior, including disrespectful language, taunting and any unsportsmanlike conduct, does not reflect the values we uphold, including the Mountain West Conference’s sportsmanship guidelines, and undermines the positive spirit of the game."
San Jose dropped the match against the Aztecs in four sets, 3-1 (25-18, 25-22, 23-25, 25-19). Fleming recorded 15 kills in the losing effort.
Save Women's Sports banner held up by members of Turning Point USA-SDSU chapter. (Alejandro Avila / OutKick)
(Alejandro Avila / OutKick)
The SJSU Spartans now sit at 13-4 (11-4 conference), with the squad benefiting from multiple forfeits as teams opted not to play against SJSU and Fleming. Two scheduled opponents for SJSU, Boise State and Wyoming, opted to forfeit two matches each this season, with the ‘no contest’ ruled as losses. Utah State, Southern Utah, and Nevada also forfeited matches this season against SJSU.
Before Saturday's match, Jim Desmond (Member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors) urged SDSU to forfeit in solidarity with women refusing to compete against Fleming. Amid the turmoil for SJSU, San Diego State has opted to play, going 3-0 against the Spartans this season. In their last face-off, Fleming spiked a fastball, which forcibly hit an SDSU player in the face.
This issue has negatively impacted SJSU athletes, students, parents, and competitors, highlighting the need for immediate action. Despite players' rejection of Fleming, the schools and governing bodies have protected the trans athlete.
In 2022, San Jose State concealed Brayden "Blaire" Fleming's identity as a trans player to welcome him on the Spartans roster.
SJSU's administration has received criticism for the preferential treatment of Fleming over that of the team's female members. One SJSU coach, Melissa Batie-Smoose, was suspended by the program for speaking out against Fleming's participation.
NCAA president Charlie Baker, Mountain West Conference commissioner Gloria Nevarez, and San Jose State's administration have been scrutinized for idly allowing Fleming to compete against women while sharing a locker room with female teammates at SJSU.
During her "Women's Sports are for Women Only" event in Reno, OutKick's Riley Gaines urged the governing bodies, including the NCAA and Mountain West Conference, to listen to women speaking up about their experiences with trans athletes.
Blaire Fleming Continues To Dominate Women's Volleyball (CREDIT: SJSU Athletics)
((CREDIT: SJSU Athletics))
Brooke Slusser, co-captain of the SJSU Spartans, has become a focal point of the drama on the team after being one of those to speak out. She joined a lawsuit against the NCAA for its negligence in preventing men from competing against women in college athletics. The suit is backed by ICONS .
The lawsuit states that the NCAA's policies violate Title IX by allowing male athletes who identify as transgender to compete in women's sports and use women's locker rooms.
The lawsuit also asks the NCAA to revoke any titles or records won by transgender female athletes in women's competitions.
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