A group representing female athletes has filed a lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) after female volleyball players were “blindsided” over the inclusion of a male “transgender” player on the San Jose State University women’s volleyball team.
The Concerned Women of America (CWA) has filed a civil rights complaint after six-foot-one male volleyball player “Blaire” Fleming was cleared to play for San Jose State University by the NCAA, but the rest of the conference was not informed that they would be playing against a man.
Look at the power and height of this Male Player Blaire Fleming – from today's Iowa Hawkeyes vs. San Jose State women's volleyball game.
Is it fair for these women who have worked so hard to be dominated by a mediocre male player? @NCAAVolleyball @icons_women @WomenAreReals… pic.twitter.com/sk8Bpg13Aq
— Beth Bourne (@bourne_beth2345) September 6, 2024
Speaking to Fox News, CWA representative Macy Petty explained that the group wants to “protect the integrity of women’s sports but also the safety of these female athletes.”
“Many of these schools were unaware that there was a male athlete on this team until this news article came out in April,” Petty added. “We just want to make sure that these schools know exactly what is going on in this athletic program because the NCAA and SJSU had not previously given them the decency to even let them know what was happening.”
“Female athletes were put in this odd position of showing up on the court and looking at the other side and realizing that something was different about this game,” she continued. “I’ve never seen an athlete play like this before, which makes total sense considering that this athlete, first of all, is not female, but the net is seven inches shorter than it should be for male players.”
She went on to explain how the female athletes felt “blindsided” by the NCAA’s decision, as they were never informed about San Jose having a male player.
“There’s no informed consent for the schools or for the female athletes here. They’re totally blindsided when they walk up to the court, and they see that there’s a male athlete on the other side,” Petty noted.
She argued that it was not fair to force these female athletes to choose between risking their safety and dignity to play volleyball or refusing to play and losing out on the chance to earn a $100,000 sports scholarship.
This is not the only lawsuit filed against the NCAA over Fleming being allowed to play against women, as former NCAA swimming champion and women’s rights activist Riley Gaines also filed a lawsuit alongside San Jose State University volleyball player Brooke Slusser — who is accusing the university of not informing the team’s female players that Fleming is a man.
Slusser has spoken out about her concerns over Fleming, noting that the male player is able to drive a spike at 80 miles per hour — which she noted was “faster than she had ever seen a woman hit a volleyball.” According to Slusser, female athletes are terrified of being concussed by Fleming.
“Due to the NCAA’s Transgender Eligibility Policies, which permit Fleming to play on the SJSU women’s volleyball team and which led to SJSU recruiting Fleming, giving Fleming a scholarship, and allowing Fleming to be in positions to violate Brooke’s right to bodily privacy, Brooke has suffered physical and emotional injuries, embarrassment, humiliation, emotional distress, mental anguish, and suffering,” the lawsuit explained.
Fleming being allowed to play in the women’s league has sparked outraged within women’s volleyball — with Boise State University, Southern Utah University, and the University of Wyoming all boycotting their matches against San Jose State University.
🚨 BREAKING: The University of Wyoming will NOT be playing against San José State University in women’s volleyball due to a male on the SJSU team.
This is the 3rd school that has taken a stand for fairness & safety! 👏https://t.co/b6HkSly3dL pic.twitter.com/9bwY7gUYkF
— Independent Women's Forum (@IWF) October 1, 2024
