A female volleyball player at Santa Rosa Junior College has filed a Title IX complaint regarding her experience with a transgender teammate. Two female athletes, Madison Shaw and Gracie Shaw, shared their concerns with reported instances of physical harm allegedly caused by their trans peers.
Madison recounted an incident from last spring when a trans athlete spiked a ball that hit her teammate Kiana Walker in the face, resulting in a concussion. Madison described the aftermath, noting that Kiana was out of commission for two weeks and quite upset about the whole ordeal. “She felt frustrated and didn’t believe this athlete should be on our team,” Madison said, reflecting on the reactions of the team.
In a separate incident, Gracie mentioned that she was struck in the face by a spike from one of the trans athletes. “I was aware the ball was coming, but it hit me harder than anything I’d experienced from the other players,” she said, adding that the speed of the ball made it difficult for her to react in time.
Together with their teammate Briel Gali, the two women filed a Title IX complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, claiming that the school retaliated against them for speaking up about their concerns regarding trans athletes on the team.
Madison expressed a desire for inclusivity but was not comfortable playing on the same team with male athletes. She felt that the school’s administration delayed their response to her request and ultimately rejected it. Madison also shared that she prepared a speech to explain her decision to leave the team, only to be told by the coach that she couldn’t disclose her reasons.
“Our coaches insisted on maintaining the privacy of the male athletes,” Madison elaborated. Gracie recounted similar frustrations, noting that she was not allowed to inform the team about her decision to skip a weightlifting session, feeling as though the coach was trying to silence them.
They attempted to organize a Zoom meeting to discuss the situation with the team, but the coach reportedly hindered that initiative as well, asserting that attendance was optional.
In response, Santa Rosa Junior College stated its commitment to providing a supportive and inclusive environment for all students, while also respecting individual privacy rights, thus unable to discuss specific cases. The college emphasized that it takes all reports seriously and follows established protocols for addressing issues.
California has been at the center of the national debate surrounding trans athletes, especially in volleyball, since last year. The U.S. Department of Justice is currently suing the state’s Department of Education over policies that permit biological males to compete in female sports categories.
This controversy extends to other levels of play. For instance, San Jose State’s women’s volleyball team faced challenges last fall involving a trans athlete that drew federal scrutiny regarding Title IX. High school sports have also seen disagreements, as evidenced by a situation with the Jurupa Valley High School Girls’ Volleyball team, where tensions arose over the presence of trans athletes.
