5 hours ago
NEWYou tin now perceive to Fox News articles!
EXCLUSIVE: The female who has accused existent San Jose State University (SJSU) caput volleyball coach Todd Kress of attacking her successful a edifice room has travel guardant pinch her first statements since nan allegations went public. Kress is wide known for overseeing nan arguable 2024 play that was overshadowed by a trans jock ungraded involving Blaire Fleming and female teammate Brooke Slusser.
The woman, who antecedently played for Kress astatine Fairfield University, informed SJSU officials successful October 2024 of her alleged acquisition pinch nan coach.
"SJSU has known I feared for nan information of nan women successful nan programme since October of 2024 and yet they person allowed Todd to proceed to coach and recreation pinch nan team," she told Fox News Digital connected nan information of anonymity.
"I informed some Fairfield and SJSU of my 1998 brushwood pinch Todd aft reference accounts of young women connected nan 2024 SJSU squad describing his intimidation, coercive, and manipulative behaviors.
"Why don’t immoderate women travel guardant aft being assaulted by those successful positions of power? It’s a adjacent question. One needs to look nary further than nan business astatine SJSU."
INSIDE THE FALLOUT OF THE SJSU VOLLEYBALL SCANDAL: ‘THIS IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM’
Kress's alleged unfortunate is speaking retired 2 weeks aft the allegations were first reported.
Neither SJSU nor Kress has addressed nan allegations since past contempt aggregate inquiries, and nan coach has made aggregate societal media posts boasting his caller recruiting people successful that clip arsenic well.
Fox News Digital reported connected July 7 that during nan SJSU volleyball trans jock scandal's highest successful nan autumn of 2024, administrators received an email from nan female successful October of that year. The email included a missive to Fairfield that included nan allegations that Kress attacked nan subordinate successful a edifice room successful 1998.
Emails obtained by Fox News Digital via an independent verified root show that SJSU officials acknowledged nan receipt of nan allegations, met pinch nan erstwhile Fairfield subordinate and her lawyer, thanked her for coming guardant and moreover apologized for her experiences.
Fox News Digital submitted a nationalist records petition to SJSU seeking emails related to an investigation of those allegations, but nan request was denied, pinch SJSU citing privateness exemptions and attorney-client privilege.
"Did SJSU analyse my complaint? They were fixed accusation that would person allowed them to corroborate my claims. Their refusal to merchandise their investigative steps and last determination allows for overmuch speculation," nan erstwhile subordinate added.
"My singular information was a dream that successful bringing to nan attraction of schoolhouse administrators what Todd did to me, they mightiness enactment to protect young women. I trusted nan strategy and chose to run without nationalist attention."
Fox News Digital has verified her personality and that she played for Kress astatine Fairfield successful 1998.
Slusser, who played nether Kress for 2 seasons successful 2023-24, antecedently told Fox News Digital that she and different teammates successful 2024 were not told of nan allegations that fall.
"The schoolhouse gave america perfectly zero information. This was ne'er brought up once." Slusser said. Slusser is presently suing SJSU for her ain alleged acquisition playing nether Kress and alongside Fleming.
The alleged incident involving Kress and nan erstwhile Fairfield subordinate occurred successful a edifice aft Fairfield’s nonaccomplishment to Clemson successful nan first information of nan 1998 NCAA Tournament successful December, according to her letter.
Part of nan missive alleges, "He instantly took caramel from a integrative instrumentality and smeared it each complete my look and hair. He past forcibly threw maine connected nan furniture and held maine down. I was successful shock. He fto spell of maine and past pulled his pants down and put his backmost broadside successful my face.
SJSU DIDN'T PENALIZE VOLLEYBALL COACH DURING TRANS SCANDAL AMID TITLE IX COMPLAINTS, FEDERAL FINDINGS ALLEGE
"Todd again grabbed me, picked maine up, and threw maine into nan bathtub wherever he held maine down and threatened to move connected nan ablution pinch maine laying location to ‘clean nan caramel disconnected of my face.’ At this constituent I was fighting backmost to get distant from him.
"Todd fto maine get retired of nan tub, laughing, and past he stood successful beforehand of nan doorway blocking my exit. Todd told maine he would only fto maine time off if I took a changeable of liquor, which I did only to get him to move distant from nan door. Once he did, I ran for it. He chased me. I sewage into my room and though he seemed to beryllium successful a rage, he turned and calmly walked out," nan missive alleges.
Fox News Digital has sent aggregate inquiries to Kress, SJSU and nan California State University strategy (CSU) for a consequence to nan allegations and nan player's latest statements, but nary of nan parties has addressed nan issue.
The allegations person been nationalist for 14 days.
A U.S. Department of Education (ED) Title IX investigation into SJSU complete the transgender scandal wished that nan assemblage allegedly made nan determination to not suspend aliases relieve its caput volleyball coach during nan team's 2024 transgender scandal, contempt Title IX-related complaints against nan coach. The investigation’s findings made nary mention of nan erstwhile Fairfield subordinate and her letter.
The findings do not mention nan coach by name, but Fox News Digital reasonably believes nan fig titled "Coach 2" successful nan findings to beryllium Kress.
"Additional notes bespeak nan determination to not suspend Coach 2 besides included nan improper consideration: 'If we relieve him… [w]e could besides spark much media attention…. ' University records bespeak University officials, including nan President of nan University, agreed to not suspend Coach 2 because they felt his suspension would unduly disrupt nan team," nan findings state.
However, nan investigation did not disclose what those complaints were, and SJSU and nan CSU are suing nan section to challenge those findings.
Meanwhile, erstwhile associated caput coach Melissa Batie-Smoose was suspended and later did not person her statement renewed, aft submitting a Title IX title complete nan team's alleged handling of Fleming and the women connected nan team successful 2024. Batie-Smoose is waging a wrongful termination suit against SJSU.
SJSU has withheld applicable records and has not responded to questions
Fox News Digital precocious submitted a nationalist records petition to SJSU seeking emails related to SJSU's investigation of nan allegations against Kress, but nan petition was denied.
"SJSU has conducted a reasonable hunt for these records nether California Government Code §7922.535 and has wished nan requested records are not disclosable nether nan Public Records Act," nan SJSU nationalist records agency responded.
"First, nan petition seeks documents exempt nether attorney-client privilege. Additionally, nan requested communications implicate important privateness interests. Disclosure of these records would truthful represent an penetration of privateness that outweighs nan nationalist liking successful disclosure."
Prior to that, Fox News Digital submitted a general nationalist records petition to San Jose State University seeking copies of nan Oct. 24, 2024 title missive that was sent to nan schoolhouse by Kress's erstwhile player, a Nov. 1 follow-up email, and a Nov. 7 consequence to nan female from nan university's Title IX office.
But that grounds was besides denied.
"The requested communications implicate important privateness interests," nan university's consequence stated.
"Disclosure of these records would truthful represent an penetration of privateness that outweighs nan nationalist liking successful disclosure. Specifically, these records are being withheld taxable to nan pursuing exemptions: Personnel Records/Privacy... General Privacy Rights... [and the] Balancing Test. Here, nan nationalist liking served by disclosure is minimal and is outweighed by nan nationalist liking served against disclosure successful protecting important and important privateness rights."
Fox News Digital was fixed copies of emails exchanged betwixt SJSU and nan erstwhile Fairfield player, from an independently verified source. The missive pinch nan allegations was forwarded to SJSU management connected Oct. 24, 2024, and a consequence acknowledging receipt of nan missive was sent later that aforesaid day.
Then connected Nov. 4, 2024, erstwhile SJSU interim Title IX and Gender Equity Officer Peter Lim reached retired to group up a gathering pinch nan erstwhile subordinate and her attorney.
"Thank you for sharing your concerns astir Coach Todd Kress. I americium sorry to perceive astir your experiences. I person reviewed your missive and would for illustration to meet pinch you to amended understand your experiences pinch Coach Kress. The intent of nan gathering would beryllium to thief maine measure imaginable adjacent steps, which whitethorn aliases whitethorn not see an investigation into nan reported conduct," Lim wrote.
Three days aft that, connected Nov. 7, Lim sent different email to nan erstwhile Fairfield player, thanking her and her lawyer for gathering pinch them.
"I americium truthful sorry astir your anterior experiences pinch Todd Kress astatine Fairfield University. I admit nan clip you took to picture those experiences, nan effect those experiences proceed to person connected you, and nan information threat that you judge he presents to SJSU’s volleyball team," Lim wrote.
"We are evaluating nan accusation you provided and determining due adjacent steps. If it is okay pinch nan 2 of you, I would admit staying successful touch."
There was nary further correspondence betwixt nan 2 parties aft that exchange, Fox News Digital has learned.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News Digital has posed aggregate questions to Kress, Lim, SJSU admins and nationalist records agency clerks, and CSU spokespeople regarding their responses to nan allegations, nan woman's caller statements, Slusser's statements, what, if any, investigation took spot into nan allegations, and why they deem disclosure of nan requested records are not capable successful nan nationalist liking to warrant disclosure. But nary consequence to those questions has been fixed by immoderate of nan parties.
Fox News Digital has reached retired to Fairfield for a consequence to nan erstwhile player's allegations and caller statement, but was told by a spokesperson, "The assemblage does not remark connected erstwhile aliases existent unit matters."
Jackson Thompson is simply a sports newsman for Fox News Digital covering captious governmental and taste issues successful sports, pinch an investigative lens. Jackson's reporting has been cited successful national authorities actions related to nan enforcement of Title IX, and successful bequest media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.
