Former SJSU volleyball coach Melissa Batie-Smoose was suspended after filing a Title IX complaint last year
College volleyball coach loses job protecting women's sports
Former San Jose State University volleyball coach Melissa Batie-Smoose discusses her battle over transgender athletes in women's spaces that led to her job loss and changes to Title IX.
A former women’s volleyball coach suspended for fighting back against a university's handling of a transgender athlete on the women's team praised President Trump's changes to Title IX on Sunday, calling them "a great first step in the right direction."
"Now we need to continue it, and… the laws [have to] change and the NCAA has to make those changes necessary so that we save women's sports and that we continue to have women's sports," Melissa Batie-Smoose, former San Jose State University volleyball coach, told "Fox & Friends Weekend's" Charlie Hurt.
Batie-Smoose was suspended last year over a Title IX complaint she filed against the school regarding transgender athlete Blaire Fleming, alleging Fleming conspired with an opponent to help the team lose a match and injure teammate Brooke Slusser.
SUSPENDED SAN JOSE STATE COACH EMBROILED IN TRANSGENDER CONTROVERSY SOUNDS ALARM ON WOMEN'S SPORTS
NCAA Logos are featured during the Division I Women's Volleyball Semifinals held at PPG Paints Arena on December 19, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Slusser lamented that her coach's suspension "took away the only safe space we had."
Now Batie-Smoose's contract has expired, and the school is not rehiring her.
"It's just been a long two years and standing up for what's right, and making sure we're continuing to support women and women's sports is what I stood up for and now currently, after 30 years in my career, [I] have been let go," she said Sunday.
Melissa Batie-Smoose filed a Title IX complaint. (Fox News Channel)
"The people around them [the girls on the team], were not supporting them. The administration, the athletic department, the head coach were all protecting the male and pretty much gaslighting everybody involved," she added.
"It was a very tough situation for all of them. Very traumatic what they had to go through, and it's unfortunate they have four years to play collegiate volleyball, and their last two years were affected so much and not being able to play some of their matches."
San Jose State was unable to comment on the situation, citing personnel matters.
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos and Claudia Cowan contributed to this report.
Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.
