Four college volleyball teams lose to San Jose State over potential trans players

A fourth university has forfeited its women’s volleyball match against San José State University after controversy over the gender identity of one of the team’s players.

Utah State University said in a brief statement Tuesday that it would not play its Oct. 23 game against SJSU and would join the University of Wyoming, Boise State University and Southern Utah University, which have all played games against the California school in the past three weeks have forfeited. .

None of the universities explained their decisions, although the University of Wyoming said the decision was made “after lengthy discussion.” The universities did not respond to requests for additional comment.

Michelle Smith McDonald, senior director of media relations for SJSU, said the university will not address the gender identity of any student because of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a federal student privacy law.

“It is disappointing that our SJSU student-athletes, who are in full compliance with NCAA and Mountain West rules and regulations, are being denied the opportunity to compete,” McDonald said in an emailed statement on behalf of the university. “We are committed to supporting our student-athletes through these challenges and in their ability to compete in an inclusive, fair, safe and respectful environment.”

The forfeits began after months of speculation on conservative websites about the gender identity of one of SJSU’s players. In April, the far-right website Reduxx published an interview with an anonymous parent of an SJSU player who said there were “rumors” that one of the other players was a transgender woman.

The teammate in question did not return requests for comment. NBC News is not using her name because she has not made a public statement about her identity or confirmed that she is transgender.

On September 23, SJSU player Brooke Slusser joined a lawsuit filed by more than a dozen female athletes against the NCAA, which oversees collegiate athletics, arguing that its policy allowing trans women to compete on women’s teams in violates Title IX, a federal law that protects students. against sex discrimination in federally funded schools and programs. The lawsuit is led by Riley Gaines, a former 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer who competed for the University of Kentucky and publicly objected to the participation of University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, the first trans woman to win an NCAA championship .

In the lawsuit, Slusser says the teammate who was the subject of the media attention told her she was a trans woman. When Slusser asked the teammate, with whom Slusser had roomed on team trips, why the teammate had not shared this information with her sooner, the teammate said, “It never seemed like a good time to bring it up,” and that she did. worried that Slusser wouldn’t be her boyfriend if Slusser knew the truth, according to the lawsuit, which uses “he” pronouns for the teammate. Slusser said she told the teammate she didn’t want her to be bullied, but she wondered if it was safe or fair for the teammate to play on the women’s team.

Shortly thereafter, according to the lawsuit, SJSU officials called a meeting to discuss the news article about the teammate’s gender identity, and told the volleyball team members not to discuss the teammate’s gender with anyone outside the team. Slusser says that the teammate was stronger than the other members of the team and that volleyball hits from the teammate caused more bruising and pain than hits from other players.

According to the lawsuit, Slusser experienced “physical and emotional injuries, shame, humiliation, emotional distress, mental anguish and suffering” as a result of the teammate’s participation on the team and the NCAA’s policy allowing trans women to compete. Slusser did not return a request for additional comment.

The NCAA said in a statement that it will “continue to promote Title IX, make unprecedented investments in women’s sports and ensure fair competition for all student-athletes in all NCAA championships.” Michelle Brutlag Hosick, director of external communications for the NCAA, declined to comment further.

Trans rights advocates have noted that the teammate has not confirmed her gender identity, but if she is transgender, it appears the information was shared and distributed without her consent, prompting a nationwide challenge. Her profile with the team indicates that she has played on women’s teams at least since high school and also played two previous seasons at SJSU without public controversy.

Tony Hoang, the executive director of Equality California, said that by forfeiting games against SJSU, school administrators are harming all students involved.

“Let’s be clear: this isn’t actually about sports; it is part of a coordinated nationwide attack on the LGBTQ+ community led by extremist right-wing politicians,” Hoang said in a statement on Thursday.

The Republican governors of both Utah and Idaho publicly supported the decisions of Southern Utah University, Utah State University and Boise State University to cancel their games against SJSU.