San Jose State volleyball coach sues over alleged political and religious retaliation

Former San Jose State University assistant volleyball coach Melissa Batie-Smoose has filed a new lawsuit alleging retaliation and harassment. The complaint claims head coach Todd Kress mocked her political affiliations and religious beliefs following a controversy involving a transgender athlete, Blaire Fleming.

Batie-Smoose alleges that Kress disparaged her in front of players by calling her a ‘Trump lover’ and a ‘Trump-loving’ individual due to her support for Donald Trump. The lawsuit further claims that Kress reacted with hostility toward her religious objections to a male athlete competing on the women’s volleyball team, stating that her beliefs prevented her from treating a male athlete as female.

The filing asserts that these interactions, which included being cornered and berated, made Batie-Smoose feel ‘physically unsafe’ and damaged her professional relationships within the program. This legal action follows a January determination by the Trump administration that the university discriminated against women by allowing a transgender athlete to participate on the women’s team.