Brooke Slusser Sparks Liberal Social Media Meltdown By Opening Up About SJSU Transgender Volleyball Scandal

Left-wing social media users launched a barrage of insults at 23-year-old Brooke Slusser in recent days.

In response, dozens of high-profile women’s rights activists have come to the defense of the former San Jose State University volleyball player.

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Slusser has addressed the criticism herself in a statement to News Digital.

“I would just say that people who don’t know my life or my trauma don’t have room to say how good or bad my time at SJSU was. I hope they never have to understand going through something as horrible as that,” she said.

She also acknowledged the responses in a series of TikTok posts, as she became more active on the platform this week to talk about her alleged experience at SJSU.

The online hate campaign began after Slusser shared details about living in the same apartment with her transgender volleyball teammate Blaire Fleming while at San Jose State University, in an interview with News Digital.

During the interview, she said: “You find out that you’re relaxing in bed with a man you have no idea about… [was] unknowingly sharing a bed at the time with a man,” and alleged SJSU volleyball coach Todd Kress encouraged her to live in the same apartment as the trans teammate when another group of players were also looking for a final tenant.

The fallout from the interview has led high-profile activists, lawmakers and even an actor to speak out, taking sides for or against Slusser.

Many critics echoed the sentiment that “nothing bad” happened to Slusser, even though the anxiety of the situation ultimately led to her developing an eating disorder and not being able to complete her college degree.

Former “Glee” actor Kevin McHale even commented on Slusser’s “upper lip.” Hale did not clarify whether he was referring to his physical appearance or the “upper lip” expression associated with Stoicism.

A coalition of “save women’s sports” activists rushed to Slusser’s defense, with OutKick host Riley Gaines, XX-XY Athletics founder Jennifer Sey, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, women’s tennis legend Martina Navratilova and former ESPN star Sage Steele leading the charge to defend Slusser from pro-trans detractors.

“Brooke has every right to feel violated. This is a violation of her personal space and boundaries. She was lied to. She would not have agreed to share a room or play with a man,” Sey wrote in response to a critic.

Navratilova wrote in response to the same critic: “Brooke has every right to be angry. Try again with the desire for punishment…”

Slusser finds himself at the center of a sports culture war at a time when conflict over his school’s handling of his transgender former teammate has reached a political stalemate.

‘HORRIBLE’ MOMENTS EXPOSED FOR UNR VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS WHEN THEY WERE CHARGED IN SJSU TITLE IX SCANDAL

After the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced in late January that an investigation into the university over its treatment of a trans athlete and other players concluded that the school violated Title IXSJSU and the California State University (CSU) system refused to resolve the violation.

Instead, SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson announced Friday that the school and the CSU system are suing the federal government to challenge the investigation.

“Because we believe OCR’s findings are not based on fact or law, SJSU and CSU today filed a lawsuit against the federal government to challenge those findings and prevent the federal government from taking punitive action against the university, including the potential withholding of critical federal funds,” Lieutenant-Matson said Friday.

“This is not a step we take lightly. However, we have a responsibility to uphold the integrity of our institution and the rule of law, while ensuring that every member of our community is treated fairly and in accordance with the law. Our position is simple: we have followed the law and cannot be punished for doing so.”

The school also requests that OCR vacate its findings and close its investigation.

Lieutenant-Matson affirmed in the announcement the university’s commitment to advocating for the LGBTQ community.

“Our support for LGBTQ members of our community, who have experienced threats and harm in recent years, remains unwavering. We know that the attention the university has received around this issue and the investigative process that followed has been disturbing to many in our community,” the university president said.

Among the Department of Education’s findings, it was determined that an athlete discovered that the trans student allegedly conspired to have a member of an opposing team punch her in the face during a game. The department states that “SJSU did not investigate the conspiracy, but later subjected the athlete to a Title IX complaint for ‘misgendering’ the male athlete in videos and online interviews.”

Slusser alleged in a November 2024 lawsuit against Mountain West that she and former assistant coach Melissa Batie-Smoose learned of a meeting between Fleming and Colorado State volleyball player Malaya Jones on Oct. 2, 2024, during which Fleming discussed a plan with Jones to have Slusser punch her in the face during a match the following night.

Slusser’s own lawsuit also partially survived motions to dismiss last week.

Colorado District Judge Kato Crews dismissed all of the plaintiffs’ charges against the Mountain West Conference, but did not dismiss charges of Title IX violations against the CSU system.

Crews deferred his decision on whether to dismiss those charges until after a decision in the ongoing BPJ v. W.V. Supreme Court case, expected in June.

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The CSU provided a statement to News Digital in response to Crews’ ruling.

“CSU is pleased with the court’s ruling. SJSU has complied with Title IX and all applicable laws, and will continue to do so,” the statement said.

The results of the lawsuits filed by and against SJSU over this issue could ultimately set an important precedent for the future of women’s sports in the United States.

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