Coach Recruited Male Athlete to Strengthen Women’s Volleyball Team, Probe Alleges

• A US Department of Education investigation alleges a university coach recruited a male athlete for a women's volleyball team
• The findings have sparked a legal battle involving San Jose State University and the California State University system
• University leaders reject the allegations and insist they acted within the law

A US Department of Education investigation has alleged that a university volleyball coach recruited a transgender woman athlete whom the department describes as male because he believed the player would strengthen a women's team. The findings have placed San Jose State University (SJSU) at the centre of a legal battle that has reignited debate around transgender participation in women's sport in the United States.

A federal probe found that former SJSU women's volleyball coach Trent Kersten allegedly began actively recruiting the athlete in 2022 and viewed the player as someone who could improve the team's performance.

According to Fox News, the athlete at the centre of the dispute is former SJSU volleyball player Blaire Fleming, a transgender woman. In its findings, the Department of Education repeatedly refers to Fleming as a "male student athlete" and concluded that the university knowingly recruited a male athlete to compete on its women's volleyball team.

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Coach's recruitment decision under scrutiny

According to the findings, Kersten began recruiting Fleming in April 2022 while serving as head coach of the women's volleyball programme. The Department of Education stated that internal communications showed Kersten discussing Fleming's potential arrival at SJSU.

According to the findings, Kersten said Fleming was "good enough to make us better". The report also alleged that university officials knew Fleming was transgender during the recruitment process.

The Department of Education concluded that SJSU "knowingly recruited a male student athlete" with the intention of gaining a competitive advantage over rival teams. Fleming joined the programme and quickly became one of the team's top performers.

Former players raise concerns

The investigation also examined complaints from former players who claimed they were not informed that Fleming was transgender before sharing accommodation and facilities.

According to the findings, "most, if not all" of the women who shared dormitories, hotel rooms and locker rooms with Fleming at various times were unaware of the athlete's birth sex.

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The report further alleged that discussions took place within the programme about whether team members should be informed.

Several former players later joined legal action against SJSU and the California State University (CSU) system. Former assistant coach Melissa Batie-Smoose also alleged that she was not informed about Fleming's birth sex when she accepted her coaching role.

At the same time, some former teammates described Fleming positively. One former player described Fleming as a "great person" and said there was "nothing against Blaire as a person".

Reports from The New York Times also highlighted the emotional toll the controversy had on Fleming, who reportedly struggled with mental health challenges during the public debate.

University rejects findings

SJSU and the CSU system have strongly rejected the Department of Education's conclusions. In March 2026, the institutions filed a lawsuit against the federal government seeking to overturn the findings and prevent possible penalties.

SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson defended the university's position.

"Because we believe OCR's findings aren't grounded in the facts or the law, SJSU and the CSU filed a lawsuit today against the federal government to challenge those findings and prevent the federal government from taking punitive action against the university," she said.

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Teniente-Matson added:

"Our position is simple: We have followed the law and cannot be punished for doing so."

What began as a recruitment decision in 2022 has evolved into one of the most closely watched disputes in American university sport. With federal investigators, university leaders, coaches and former players all involved, the outcome could influence future debates about transgender participation, eligibility rules and women's sport in the United States.

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Source: Briefly News