Blair Fleming will not do any interviews during the Mountain West Conference volleyball tournament.
A San Jose State University athlete at the center of a gender controversy will be allowed to compete in the tournament after a federal judge in Colorado ruled in her favor.
Although her presence in Las Vegas will raise questions, as several teams in the tournament are among those who have already forfeited games this season without playing against her, she will be playing at SJSU You will not be asked to answer them.
“We have no plans to facilitate interviews with players or coaches during the Mountain West Tournament,” a school spokesperson wrote. Email Outkick.com on tuesday.
So far, neither the school nor Fleming have responded to questions about her gender.
At least a dozen players from the Mountain West Conference, including San Jose State's Brooke Slusser, have spoken to the conference, commissioner Gloria Nevarez, San Jose State administrators and Spartans coaches, according to Front Office Sports. , has filed a lawsuit against Todd Kress.
Multiple teams have chosen not to play San Jose State this season after allegations that the team had a transgender player. Mountain West schools Utah, Nevada, Boise State and Wyoming declined to play the Spartans, resulting in forfeitures. Conference opponent Southern Utah State also opted for a forfeit.
The Utah program has joined as a plaintiff in the lawsuit, Front Office Sports reports.
Judge Kato Cruz cited NCAA Title IX policy, which prohibits discrimination against transgender people.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Mountain West Conference had already implemented a policy allowing transgender women to compete if tests showed normal levels of testosterone for women. The judge noted that the schools that were disqualified by the Spartans had already agreed to rules regarding eligibility for transgender athletes.
The judge also questioned the timing of the emergency injunction, which was filed just before the conference tournament regarding matters established at the start of the season.
The Chronicle reports that the appeal could be heard in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver.
— with post wire
