Quick Hit:

Armed police guarded Thursday's college volleyball match between San Jose State and Colorado State after a San Jose player received a chilling death threat for her outspoken support for single-sex sports. The threat, aimed at Brooke Slusser, follows her involvement in a lawsuit against the NCAA’s policy of allowing trans-identifying males to compete in women’s athletics.

Key Details:

• On Monday, Brooke Slusser, a starting player for San Jose State, received a death threat after speaking out in support of single-sex sports and joining a lawsuit against the NCAA.

• The lawsuit, supported by the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), argues that the NCAA is violating federal law by allowing males to compete in women's sports, threatening both fairness and safety.

• Slusser’s teammate, Blaire Fleming, a trans-identifying male athlete, has been at the center of controversy. Several teams have forfeited matches against San Jose in protest of his participation.

Diving Deeper:

Armed security was deployed for Thursday night’s volleyball match between San Jose State University and Colorado State University after San Jose player Brooke Slusser received a death threat for her vocal support of single-sex sports. The threat follows Slusser’s decision to join a lawsuit aimed at challenging the NCAA’s policy of allowing trans-identifying males to compete in women’s collegiate athletics.

According to a report from Reduxx, the lawsuit, supported by the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), accuses the NCAA of violating Title IX, a federal law that ensures equal opportunities for men and women in education and sports. The suit claims that by permitting males to participate in women’s sports, the NCAA is undermining the integrity and safety of women’s athletics. Slusser, who plays as the starting setter for San Jose State, was one of the latest athletes to sign onto the lawsuit, which has also gained the support of prominent female athletes like 12-time All-American swimmer Riley Gaines, Olympian Reka Gyorgy, and NCAA champion Kylee Alons.

The controversy surrounding the case intensified with the participation of Blaire Fleming, a trans-identifying male player on San Jose State’s women’s volleyball team. Fleming, who transferred from Coastal Carolina University after South Carolina enacted the Save Women’s Sports Bill, has faced growing opposition from other teams in the Mountain West Conference. Since the beginning of the season, four teams have forfeited matches against San Jose in apparent protest of Fleming’s presence.

In an interview with OutKick, Slusser explained her decision to join the lawsuit, stating, “It was an easy decision for me because it’s something I truly believe in.” She added that while the response to her stance had been mostly positive, she was shocked to learn about the death threat. The threat was received via Instagram by one of her teammates, prompting Slusser to contact local police in Fort Collins, Colorado, where her team was scheduled to play.

To ensure the safety of the players and attendees, both San Jose State University and Colorado State University worked closely with Fort Collins police. Armed officers were present at the match, and additional security measures, including metal detectors, were in place. Slusser, although shaken by the threat, remains steadfast in her belief that the fight for fairness in women’s sports is worth the risk. “It’s not something I am stressing about or anxious about because it’s the right thing to do,” she told Reduxx. “I believe to my core that this is the right thing to do, and I know a lot of people feel the same.”

Riley Gaines, one of the most vocal athletes supporting the lawsuit, expressed her outrage over the threat to Slusser. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gaines said, “Female athlete speaks up for fair play and receives death threat. This is abhorrent.”

Marshi Smith, a representative of ICONS, criticized the NCAA for failing to protect female athletes in the face of growing opposition. “The NCAA must immediately eliminate male athletes from women’s teams and competitions,” Smith said in a statement to Reduxx. “Female athletes are being placed in dangerous situations, both on and off the court, because the NCAA has failed in its duty to protect them.”