Former SJSU volleyball star opens up on living with trans teammate without knowing athlete's biological sex

Brooke Slusser shares regrets over personal details shared with teammate Blaire Fleming, who was later revealed to be transgender

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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Brooke Slusser, a former volleyball player at San Jose State University, has opened up about living with her transgender teammate Blaire Fleming without knowing Fleming's biological sex. Slusser claims their head coach, Todd Kress, encouraged her to live with Fleming and other teammates in an apartment, unaware that Fleming was transgender. Slusser says she shared personal secrets and vulnerabilities with Fleming, only to later learn Fleming's true identity, which she found deeply unsettling. Slusser has since joined legal efforts against the NCAA and her former school over the handling of the situation.

Why it matters

This case highlights the complex issues that can arise when transgender athletes are integrated into women's sports teams without proper protocols and transparency. Slusser's experience raises questions about informed consent, privacy, and the potential for exploitation when personal information is shared unknowingly. The legal battles stemming from this situation could have far-reaching implications for the future of women's sports.

The details

Slusser, a transfer student from Alabama, was encouraged by her head coach, Todd Kress, to live in an apartment with her SJSU volleyball teammates, including Blaire Fleming. Slusser was unaware that Fleming was transgender and shared personal details and vulnerabilities with Fleming, only to later learn the truth about Fleming's biological sex. Slusser claims Kress knew about Fleming's transgender identity but still placed them together. The situation has led to legal action by Slusser against the NCAA, her former school, and the California State University system.

  • Slusser moved into the apartment, known as 'the villa', at the start of her junior year in 2023.
  • About two months into living together, Slusser began sharing personal secrets with Fleming and her other teammates.
  • In the 2024 spring semester, Slusser learned that Fleming was transgender after a news article was published about it.
  • Slusser joined Riley Gaines' lawsuit against the NCAA at the start of the 2024 volleyball season.
  • Slusser later filed her own lawsuit with other players in the Mountain West conference against SJSU and the CSU system.

The players

Brooke Slusser

A former volleyball player at San Jose State University who transferred from Alabama and lived with her transgender teammate Blaire Fleming without knowing Fleming's biological sex.

Blaire Fleming

A transgender volleyball player at San Jose State University who lived with Brooke Slusser without Slusser knowing Fleming's biological sex.

Todd Kress

The head coach of the San Jose State University volleyball team who allegedly encouraged Slusser to live with Fleming and other teammates, despite knowing Fleming was transgender.

Melissa Batie-Smoose

A former assistant volleyball coach at San Jose State University who is suing the school for wrongful termination.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson

The president of San Jose State University, who announced the school is suing the federal government in response to an investigation that found the school violated Title IX in its handling of the situation involving Slusser and Fleming.

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What they’re saying

“I [was] unknowingly sharing a bed at that time with a man. It's hard to process. I don't even know if I can say I've fully processed it to this day. It's just, you're told something for so long, you think something for so long and you act very normally about a situation, and then come to find out it's all a lie.”

— Brooke Slusser, Former SJSU volleyball player (wxbc1043.com)

“Todd Kress, knowing this person was a man, and saying that I'm going to 'fit in better' with these girls on my volleyball team, couldn't have been further from the truth.”

— Brooke Slusser, Former SJSU volleyball player (wxbc1043.com)

“She's been anorexic and struggled with food since I've known her[,] aka since 2023. She literally would weigh herself 2-3x a day and keep track of it on her whiteboard in her room…. So I really don't care or feel bad for her.”

— Blaire Fleming (wxbc1043.com)

“These statements are just not true. I have always lived a very healthy lifestyle. Before these events took place[,] I was very disciplined in fueling myself for athletics and [kept] track to make sure I was where I need to be[,] to be the best athlete. It wasn't until all the craziness started that my healthy lifestyle turned very unhealthy into not eating the amount I should.”

— Brooke Slusser, Former SJSU volleyball player (wxbc1043.com)

“I believe that the court is going to find that Title IX operates on the basis of biological sex, without regard to an assumed or professed gender, and so just like the Congress and the members of Congress that passed Title IX in 1972, allowed this specifically provided for in the regulations that there had to be separate men's and women's teams based on biological sex, I think the court is going to see that is the original meaning of the statute and apply it in that way, and I think it's going to be a big win in women's sports.”

— Bill Bock, Brooke Slusser's lawyer (wxbc1043.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide in June whether to dismiss the remaining Title IX charges against the California State University system, based on the upcoming Supreme Court ruling in the B.P.J. v West Virginia case.

The takeaway

This case highlights the complex issues that can arise when transgender athletes are integrated into women's sports teams without proper protocols and transparency. Slusser's experience raises concerns about informed consent, privacy, and the potential for exploitation when personal information is shared unknowingly. The legal battles stemming from this situation could have far-reaching implications for the future of women's sports in America.