Republican leaders from Congress expressed “serious concern” with the Mountain West Conference about transgender women participating in women’s sports.
Thirteen officials signed a letter to Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez, asking the conference to ban transgender athletes from playing against biological women.
“We wrote serious concerns about safety and standards of fair competition for female athletes Agencies in the Mountain West Conference,” the letter, signed by members of the US House and US Senate, said.
The letter was sent amid controversy at San Jose State University, where Blaire Fleming, a transgender woman, plays for the women’s volleyball team.
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The Mountain West logo is displayed during the football game between the Idaho Vandals and the University of Wyoming Cowboys on Sept. 7, 2024, at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyo. (Kevin Langley/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Several teams have lost games against the Spartans this season.
“Title IX was established over 50 years ago to even the playing field for women. Since its implementation, women have participated in safer and fairer competitions – but recent events have shown this to be at risk,” the state letter.
“Recently, members of your conference have lost games, risking their competitive position to ensure the safety of female athletes. The failure of the Mountain West Conference to ban biological males from competing in women’s sports is unfair to women and girls who have worked tirelessly to compete at the collegiate level We applaud the courage of these female athletes and universities in their home countries to take a stand to preserve the Title IX when the Mountain West Conference will not.
“Allowing biological men to play women’s sports is not fair; it is not fair. Under the guidelines, it is only fair that biological men play men’s sports and biological women play women’s sports. Clearly, the Mountain West Conference has dropped the ball.
Blaire Fleming of the San Jose State Spartans reacts during the second set against the Air Force Falcons on Falcon Court in the East Gym on October 19, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colo. (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
“Life is not fair, but sport should be. We urge you to address these inequities in women’s sports in the Mountain West Conference immediately, and we hope to work with you to support women in collegiate sports”.
Fleming has been one of the best players in the conference and an offensive anchor for San Jose State this season, despite the controversy. Fleming was third in the conference in kills per serve average at 3.86 and collected 297 total kills on the year despite playing seven fewer games than expected due to the loss. It helped give San Jose State the third-best hitting percentage in the Mountain West.
Fleming’s friend, Brooke Slusser, is part of the lawsuit against the NCAA, and she filed another lawsuit along with other Mountain West players against the conference over the presence of transgender teammates. Slusser has alleged the school deliberately hid Fleming’s natural birth type from him and other players on the team and around the conference.
San Jose State has repeatedly defended Fleming’s presence on the team.
Blaire Fleming, a redshirt senior at San Jose State University, plays outside hitter and right side on the women’s volleyball team. (San Jose State University)
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“Our athletes all comply with the policies of the NCAA and the Mountain West Conference and are eligible to play according to the rules of the organization. Members of our volleyball team have earned the right to compete, and we are very disappointed for them and they were denied. The opportunity through the cancellation and loss We also proud of how he handled these challenges on the court,” a university spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
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