Transgender NCAA volleyball player finally speaks out to deny allegations

Former NCAA volleyball player Brayden "Blaire" Fleming has finally provided comment about allegations made by one of his coaches.

Blaze News originally reported on Fleming in September 2024 after his school, San Jose State University, got off to its best start in team history by employing the 6'1'' male athlete on the women's volleyball team.

This resulted in wall-to-wall coverage of opponents forfeiting games against SJSU, with some like Nevada's Sia Liilii speaking out against having to play across from a man.

'Blaire gets what Blaire wants.'

When SJSU associate head volleyball coach Melissa Batie-Smoose spoke out, however, she was promptly suspended indefinitely by her school. After filing a Title IX complaint against SJSU and alleging that the male athlete conspired against his own team, Batie-Smoose is now part of a lawsuit against the Board of Trustees of the California State University system, which SJSU falls under along with 22 other California schools.

The lawsuit alleges that SJSU was "retaliatory" in its suspension of Batie-Smoose, according to Fox News.

At the same time, the former coach told Fox News Digital that Fleming received special treatment from the team, which included, "Not showing up to practice with no excuses [and] sitting in the stands eating while practice was going on."

These allegations were what sparked Fleming to finally speak out and address the recent claims.

"The only times I showed up to practice with 'no excuse' and sat in the stands was when I was injured and couldn't play," Fleming told the outlet. "Brooke Slusser and Melissa need to get a life," he added.

Slusser, a former teammate of Fleming, is not only part of a class action lawsuit against the NCAA alleging Title IX violations, but she also had the unique experience of allegedly being forced to room with Fleming.

RELATED: NCAA coach suspended indefinitely after speaking out about male athlete on women's volleyball team

Brooke Slusser #10 and Blaire Fleming #3 of the San Jose State Spartans call a play during the first set against the Air Force Falcons on October 19, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

"Blaire wanted to room with Brooke Slusser, and that's who Blaire felt comfortable, so Blaire gets what Blaire wants," Batie-Smoose told Fox News Digital.

Slusser told Blaze News in an exclusive interview in 2024 that she originally roomed with Fleming when she first arrived to the team and was told there were "three girls on the team that are looking for a roommate."

One of those "girls" was Fleming. After rooming with the transgender athlete on multiple road trips, Slusser was suspicious as to why she was routinely being roomed with Fleming despite other teammates being rotated around.

Slusser told Blaze News, "I found it very odd that everyone else was getting switched around on away trips, and I somehow kept getting roomed with the same person. Usually, you get switched around ... and I just kept getting roomed with [Fleming]."

The former volleyball star also alleged that Fleming received preferential treatment, including team meetings focused on the transgender athlete's well-being but no one else's.

"We've had meetings, and it's a lot of just checking in on Blaire. ... We were like, 'What about us?'" Slusser said. "It's mostly just saying you can't be the person to ... identify Blaire's gender identity. 'Blaire needs to do that for himself.'"

RELATED: Exclusive: 'We all know the reason the games are canceled': SJSU volleyball player speaks out against transgender teammate

Brooke Slusser #10 of the San Jose State Spartans serves the ball. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

Batie-Smoose has since revealed that she was not told Fleming is male until after she accepted the job at SJSU, despite having moved her family from Connecticut to take on the coaching role. She also alleged that she was told she could not tell other players or their parents that a male was on the team.

"[Head Coach] Todd Kress told me in passing ... because I was asking ... 'Oh, by the way, Blaire is a male,'" Batie-Smoose told Fox News Digital.

As for Coach Kress, he vehemently defended the inclusion of Fleming on his team and even accused other squads that forfeited against SJSU of taking opportunities away from the girls on his team.

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