Concerns Emerge Around SJSU Volleyball Coach Amid Allegations

In her final season of college volleyball at San Jose State University in 2024, Brooke Slusser claimed she was advised against being alone with head coach Todd Kress. She mentioned that her parents had heard rumors regarding Kress’s alleged past conduct, specifically an incident involving a former player in a hotel room years prior.

“When my parents got wind of this, they urged me to be cautious and to avoid being alone with him,” Slusser recounted. “I didn’t have all the details, so when people told me that I shouldn’t be alone with Todd Kress, I felt anxious and a bit scared,” she told a media outlet on Friday.

Reports surfaced that in October 2024, SJSU received a letter from a former player who alleged that Kress assaulted her in the team’s hotel room back in 1998.

This letter detailed accusations, saying Kress “forced me onto the bed,” “pulled down my pants and shoved his back into my face,” and even “picked me up and threw me into the bathtub, where he held me down and threatened to turn on the shower.”

Slusser expressed concern that the school did not inform her or other players about these allegations. “The school gave us zero information. This wasn’t discussed at all. Many of my former teammates reached out to me after the story broke, asking if it was true,” she said.

She noted that during the 2024 season, rumors about Kress began to reach her parents. Slusser mentioned that whenever she had to be in a room with Kress, her family advised her to bring a teammate or former assistant coach. “My parents were like, ‘If Melissa pulls you into a meeting, make sure to bring her along,’ or ‘Always have teammates with you, just don’t be alone with him; he can get aggressive,’” she explained.

SJSU officials confirmed receiving the allegations in October 2024 and extended thanks to the former player for coming forward, apologizing for her experience. Despite the allegations, Kress continued serving as the head coach and has celebrated his recruiting efforts on social media since the allegations surfaced.

The letter from the former player, who played under Kress at Fairfield University, was sent to SJSU on October 24, 2024. While Kress remains head coach, the former assistant coach, Melissa Batty Smooth, was suspended shortly after filing a Title IX complaint. She did not have her contract renewed in January and is now pursuing legal action for wrongful termination.

Slusser expressed her concern about the university’s choice to suspend Batty Smooth, given the knowledge of the allegations against Kress. “What troubles me most is that they’re letting go of someone like Melissa, who consistently looked out for us, while keeping him on staff,” Slusser stated.

Slusser is also in the process of suing the university and the California State University System regarding past experiences with a former teammate under Kress. She has warned current players and incoming recruits about Kress. “I just say to be cautious… The guy who just committed? He’s not someone I’d want my daughter to play for. I wouldn’t even want my worst enemy to play for him,” she remarked.

Documents obtained from reliable sources confirmed the existence of the allegations made by the former player from Fairfield. In her email to SJSU, she described an incident at a hotel following a loss where Kress was alleged to have behaved inappropriately.

The former player recounted, “I was devastated after our loss and had no interest in his antics. A teammate brought him a shirt, believing he wouldn’t act out.” She described the encounter, where Kress allegedly grabbed her, being inappropriate, and blocking her from leaving. “In that moment, I was shocked and terrified,” she recalled.

She did not report the incident back then, fearing for her scholarship and her teammates’. On November 4, 2024, SJSU’s interim Title IX officer reached out to the former player to schedule a meeting with her attorney, expressing concern over her experience.

Follow-up communications were sent thanking her for sharing her account, but further discussions did not occur. Kress continued coaching through the season, encountering challenges that led to a poor record, and he has remained active on social media celebrating new recruits.

Slusser has voiced her discontent with the university’s actions, stressing the need to address what she views as a significant concern for the team’s safety moving forward.