Ex-SJSU volleyball coach opens up on lawsuit after losing job amid trans athlete scandal

San Jose State assistant volleyball coach Melissa Batie-Smoose told Fox News Digital about her recent lawsuit after losing her job earlier this year.

EXCLUSIVE: Former San Jose State assistant women's volleyball coach Melissa Batie-Smoose knew she wanted to sue as soon as she found out she was suspended last season.

She had just filed a Title IX complaint that contained several allegations against the school and transgender player Blaire Fleming. The suspension hit her the first weekend of November 2024, just days before the presidential election. She found out just minutes before warm-ups for a home game against New Mexico State. 

"I come walking into the gym and I was removed by an administrator and told I was not allowed to have contact with my players, nor step foot back on campus. They wanted the keys, and handed me paper and said everything you need to know is in there," Batie-Smoose told Fox News Digital. 

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She claims she had personal items on campus that she was not allowed to come back to retrieve, and alleged she was never explicitly told which of her actions she was being punished for, but simply that she violated FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) laws. 

Last week, she filed a lawsuit against the Board of Trustees of the California State University (CSU) system, as SJSU is one of 23 California-based schools that are part of the system. Batie-Smoose and her attorney Vernadette Broyles believe the suspension was "retaliatory" to her Title IX complaint over Fleming.

"We feel confident that there is a retaliatory aspect to their actions," Broyles said. 

In the Title IX complaint, Batie-Smoose alleged that Fleming conspired with an opposing