Blair Fleming, a transgender volleyball player, has pushed back against suggestions that her teammate Brooke Slusser’s eating disorder was a result of emotional turmoil, stating, “I don’t feel bad for her.”
The 23-year-old Fleming gained attention last year after Slusser filed numerous lawsuits against her fellow players at San Jose State University (SJSU) upon discovering Fleming’s transgender status.
Slusser has asserted that the stress and panic during that period contributed to her struggle with an eating disorder, which led to severe anorexia and the loss of her menstrual cycles for nine months.
She became aware that Fleming, who began transitioning medically at 14, was transgender.
“I wasn’t eating at all due to the stress and constant anxiety,” Slusser shared recently, explaining how her weight dropped from about 160 to 128 pounds during her first semester. “For someone my size, that was definitely unhealthy,” she said.
Slusser ultimately decided to withdraw from classes in her last semester, citing ongoing harassment from students opposed to her viewpoint.
Fleming, on the other hand, suggested Slusser’s eating issues were longstanding, predating their awareness of her being transgender. “She was anorexic even before I knew her,” Fleming remarked, noting that Slusser had a habit of weighing herself multiple times a day.
“I don’t care about her at all,” Fleming added, “and I don’t feel sorry for her. She didn’t fail the class; she just failed.”
Slusser has since returned and contested Fleming’s assertions. “These claims are completely false. I’ve always maintained a healthy lifestyle and was very disciplined in my eating before these events unfolded,” she explained.
She went on to say, “It wasn’t until everything turned chaotic that my healthy habits deteriorated.”
On her academic situation, Slusser revealed that she plans to stay at home after fall 2024 to focus on her recovery, hence her decision not to return to SJSU for more classes.
Slusser has also claimed that she was unaware of Fleming’s assigned gender at birth and noted they frequently shared hotel rooms during trips, a point made in her lawsuit against the NCAA and the Mountain West Conference.
She alleged that Fleming had requested to share a room with her—a request granted by their team leadership.
According to Slusser, Fleming came out as transgender in April 2024 while they were enjoying ice cream with a teammate. In September 2024, she teamed up with swimmer Riley Gaines to file a lawsuit against the NCAA.
Meanwhile, SJSU’s volleyball team has been facing a series of disqualifications from opposing teams and has been assigned police protection regularly.
The U.S. Department of Education is currently looking into SJSU for potential Title IX violations.
