The Board of Trustees of the California State University system is facing a new federal lawsuit from a former associate head coach for the women’s volleyball team at San Jose State University claiming employment discrimination and retaliation.
Melissa Batie-Smoose’s complaint alleges that after she raised concerns about a transgender female student-athlete participating on the women’s volleyball team, she was suspended on November 1, 2024, and then terminated on January 31, 2025. Batie-Smoose claims this was in retaliation for opposing practices she reasonably believed constituted unlawful sex discrimination under Title VII and Title IX.
Batie-Smoose alleges the university subjected her to ...