January 1, Federal Probe Exposes Shocking Double Standard in Trans Volleyball Scandal

Wyatt’s Take

• Federal investigators found San Jose State allegedly protected its male head coach to avoid media scrutiny while suspending a female assistant who spoke up for women’s sports
• The school’s own records show officials all the way up to the university president deliberately chose not to discipline the male coach despite Title IX complaints, fearing public backlash
• Female assistant Melissa Batie-Smoose was immediately suspended and fired for alleged privacy violations, while the male coach committed similar violations in an ESPN interview but faced zero consequences

A federal investigation has revealed what many Americans suspected all along about the San Jose State transgender volleyball scandal. The school allegedly ran a two-tier justice system, protecting politically correct administrators while punishing a female coach who dared to stand up for women’s sports.

The U.S. Department of Education findings, obtained through a public records request, paint a damning picture of institutional corruption at the California university. School officials allegedly made decisions based not on fairness or Title IX law, but on fear of media attention.

The investigation centers on how SJSU treated head coach Todd Kress versus assistant coach Melissa Batie-Smoose during the 2024 season controversy involving a male athlete competing on the women’s volleyball team.

“Additional notes indicate the decision to not suspend Coach 2 also included the improper consideration: ‘If we relieve him . . . [we could also spark more media attention. . . .’ University records indicate University officials, including the President of the University, agreed to not suspend Coach 2 because they felt his suspension would unduly disrupt the team,”

The federal findings state plainly what happened. Batie-Smoose, the female assistant coach, spoke out about biological reality in women’s sports. The university immediately suspended her, claiming she violated student privacy laws by discussing a trans athlete’s birth sex.

Meanwhile, Kress gave an interview to ESPN where federal investigators say he “crossed the FERPA line” himself. The school’s response? Absolutely nothing. No suspension, no discipline, not even a slap on the wrist.

Batie-Smoose’s attorney, Vernadette Broyles of the Child & Parental Rights Campaign, has vigorously disputed that her client violated any privacy laws. But the university pushed ahead anyway, eventually refusing to renew Batie-Smoose’s contract.

“All along, they were looking to protect the male player, and anything that would not draw attention, that was all their decision-making in the process,”

Batie-Smoose told investigators in her own words.

“So we want the least amount of attention on this, we want it to go away, and the more we pay light to that, we could have attention on it that we do not want,”

She added, describing what she believes was the university’s mindset.

The federal findings document reveals both coaches had Title IX complaints filed against them during the 2024 season. Yet only the woman who spoke up for female athletes faced consequences.

“Both Coach 2 and Coach 3 had complaints filed against them during the 2024 indoor volleyball season relating to allegations of Title IX violations and employee conduct violations. During the pendency of the employee conduct investigations, the University suspended Coach 3 (a woman) but chose to not suspend Coach 2 (a man), for similar alleged conduct at the beginning of both investigations,”

The investigation states.

Even SJSU’s own Title IX coordinator noticed something was wrong. An October 2024 email noted that Kress was being “borderline ignored or not even acknowledged” by the team, which had rallied around Batie-Smoose and former co-captain Brooke Slusser.

Slusser leads a lawsuit over her experience being forced to compete alongside and share locker room facilities with a biological male. She previously told reporters that Batie-Smoose’s firing left female athletes feeling abandoned and afraid.

“By releasing me… they have no safety anymore, they have nobody looking out for their best interest,”

Batie-Smoose explained.

The federal investigators requested additional information from SJSU to complete their determination. The university refused to provide all the requested documents. That refusal speaks volumes about what school administrators are hiding.

Now SJSU and the entire California State University system have filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education to challenge these findings. They’ve secured a court order preventing immediate funding cuts while the legal battle plays out.

The order requires both sides to file status reports every 60 days. If the federal government decides to withhold funding, the parties must submit an expedited briefing schedule within two business days, with briefing and hearings completed within 45 days.

Until that process happens, the federal findings have no effect on SJSU’s federal funding eligibility. The Department of Education cannot withhold or disrupt funds for at least 30 days after any court hearing.

Wyatt Matters

This case exposes everything wrong with how woke institutions handle biological men in women’s sports. A female coach stood up for female athletes and got fired. A male coach violated the same rules and got protected by administrators terrified of bad press. The message to women is crystal clear: shut up and accept it, or lose your livelihood. That’s not equality. That’s not Title IX. That’s institutional cowardice dressed up as progressive values, and it’s destroying opportunities for our daughters and granddaughters.