Judge Allows San Jose State's Transgender Player Blaire Fleming to Compete in Mountain West Tournament

Nov 25, 2024, 10:58 PM

A federal judge has ruled that transgender player Blaire Fleming on the San Jose State University women's volleyball team is eligible to compete in the upcoming Mountain West Conference tournament, which begins this week. Judge S. Kato Crews, appointed by President Biden, rejected a request by players and coaches from other schools to block Fleming from participating on the grounds that she is transgender. The plaintiffs argued that the inclusion of the transgender player violated Title IX protections and unfairly impacted female athletes. Several teams had previously forfeited matches against San Jose State in protest, resulting in the Spartans receiving six forfeit wins and securing the number two seed with a first-round bye in the tournament. The judge barred the female athletes from testifying and ruled that removing Fleming would disrupt the status quo, denying the request for an injunction. The plaintiffs plan to appeal the ruling.