Judge says trans volleyball players will reportedly be allowed to compete

A federal judge has ruled that a San José State University women’s volleyball player, who some of her teammates and competitors say is transgender, can continue playing on the team. ESPN reported this.

Players from other teams in the university’s Mountain West conference, along with a handful of individuals affiliated with the SJSU team, filed a lawsuit earlier this month seeking an emergency injunction to ban the allegedly transgender student from playing on the team . (SJSU has never confirmed that the player is transgender, citing privacy laws, and the player has never publicly discussed her gender.)

Prosecutors alleged that her play on the team denied “equal opportunity” to cisgender women. One of SJSU’s co-captains has repeatedly claimed that she fears her teammate could injure her or another player, but she noticed in a recent interview with KTVU, According to the Fox News station in San Francisco, other than the routine bumps and bruises, she was never injured by the teammate who she claims is transgender.

U.S. District Judge S. Kato Crews ruled against the plaintiffs on the grounds that the situation was not in fact an emergency; the conference has had the same policy toward transgender athletes since 2022, and Crews wrote in the decision: “There is no evidence to suggest that they were previously barred from seeking emergency care.” The plaintiffs’ lawyer has filed a notice of objection.

The ruling comes days before the start of the Mountain West tournament, in which SJSU is the No. 2 seed. Six team wins this season came from their opponents declaring forfeitsprobably in protest against the supposedly trans player.