A judge ruled Monday that San Jose State transgender women's volleyball player Blair Fleming will be allowed to play for the Spartans in the Mountain West Conference tournament and the rest of the season.
According to OutKick, Colorado federal judge Kato Cruz, who was appointed by President Biden in January, denied a request for injunctive relief in a lawsuit filed by college volleyball players against the conference.
The news sparked a backlash on some social media, including from female sports activist Riley Gaines.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Blair Fleming is a redshirt senior at San Jose State University, where she plays as an outside hitter and right-side hitter for the women's volleyball team. (San Jose State University/File)
“A federal judge just ruled in favor of a male athlete who has been injuring defenseless women playing volleyball for years,” Gaines tweeted. “The time has come to remove activist judges who refuse to uphold the law as it is intended.”
Many more X users posted on their accounts to express their dissatisfaction with the ruling.
“There aren't enough people left who have the courage to stand up for what's right, but I'd love to see all the teams boycott the tournament,” one user posted. “This has to end.”
SJSU transgender female volleyball player Blair Fleming gets green light to play in conference tournament
Another added: “What a joke. We literally live in an upside down clown world.”
Twelve women jointly filed a lawsuit against the Mountain West and its commissioners, alleging violations of Title IX and First Amendment rights. The women include SJSU volleyball co-captain Brooke Slusser and two former Spartans, as well as players from other schools in the Mountain West.
But Cruz called the plaintiffs' request for an emergency postponement “unreasonable,” saying it “would be disruptive, threaten to derail months of planning, and threaten at least (San Jose State University) and others participating in the tournament.” It would prejudice the team.” ”
“The petitioners have failed to meet their burden of demonstrating irreparable harm, a likelihood of success on the merits, or a balance of damages or fairness in their favor,” Cruz wrote in the ruling. I wrote it.
San Jose State's Blair Fleming is pictured during a game against Air Force on October 19, 2024 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Andrew Webbers/Getty Images)
The players are looking to be disqualified for refusing to play against Fleming, and the Spartans will be canceled and their standings will change heading into the tournament. They also wanted Fleming expelled from the tournament.
Instead, Cruz's ruling allows Fleming to play for the Spartans, who are second-seeded and have a first-round bye.
Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State and Nevada were among the conference teams that canceled games against the Spartans due to Fleming's presence on the team. They knew their record would be destroyed by the forfeit, which ultimately helped SJSU secure a high seed.
“San Jose State University continues to support its student-athletes and rejects all forms of discrimination. All San Jose State University student-athletes are eligible to participate in sports under NCAA and Mountain West Conference regulations.” the school said in a statement. to Fox News Digital.
“We are pleased that the court rejected our 11th-hour attempt to change these rules. Our team looks forward to competing in the Mountain West Volleyball Tournament this week.”
San Jose State's Blair Fleming is pictured during a game against Air Force on October 19, 2024 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Andrew Webbers/Getty Images)
Fleming has been a star for the Spartans this season, averaging 3.86 kills per serve, which ranks third in the Mountain West.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Heading into the tournament, one of the four teams that lost this season vs. SJSU is guaranteed to play SJSU in the semifinals, as Utah State and Boise State are scheduled to meet in the quarterfinals. has been.
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
Follow sports coverage on Fox News Digital on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Albanian
Croatian
Dutch
English
French
German
Italian
Macedonian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish