Inside UNR’s scandalous involvement in the SJSU trans volleyball scandal

Within the fall of 2024, the College of Nevada, Reno (UNR) ladies’s volleyball group fell below nationwide scrutiny when it grew to become embroiled within the San Jose State (SJSU) trans athlete scandal.

The U.S. Division of Training (ED) introduced Wednesday that it had discovered SJSU in violation of Title IX, and weeks earlier introduced that UNR is now below investigation for doable Title IX violations over its dealing with of a scheduled recreation towards SJSU in 2024.

Fox Information Digital has obtained unique particulars concerning UNR’s dealing with of the scenario via testimony from these concerned and public information offered by April Chainey, the mom of a UNR participant on the time.

UNR didn’t have a Title IX officer current at a vital assembly

On October 7, 2024, UNR directors referred to as the ladies’s volleyball gamers into a gathering. The aim was to tell the gamers that the group wouldn’t forfeit an upcoming dwelling recreation towards SJSU. On the time, 4 different faculties had already misplaced to the Spartans amid a nationwide controversy involving trans participant Blaire Fleming.

UNR gamers additionally privately expressed a want to surrender, however advised them that will not be the varsity’s place on the assembly.

UNR didn’t have a Title IX official at that assembly, in keeping with an Oct. 12, 2024, e mail despatched by the varsity’s athletic director, Stephanie Rempe.

“Our Title IX officer was not current,” Rempe’s e mail mentioned in response to a query from UNR Chancellor Charlton.

Former UNR ladies’s volleyball captain Sia Liilii referred to as the assembly a “horrible” expertise.

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Sia Liilii speaks at an IWF occasion. (Impartial Girls’s Discussion board)

“This encounter was horrible,” Liilii advised Fox Information Digital.

“It passed off after the varsity determined to choose for us and it was uncomfortable. They advised us that Blaire had no benefit as a result of she was taking estrogen and testosterone blockers to stage the enjoying subject. Numerous women and I expressed that we didn’t need to play due to security and equity, and since ladies could be disadvantaged of the chance in sports activities by a male athlete. As a substitute of supporting this determination, we had been advised that maybe we should always take into consideration all of the ‘info’ first in case we needed to rethink.

“It was very regarding that this assembly didn’t have a Title IX officer and that we got various ‘info’ that weren’t supported by the reality.”

Chainey mentioned she was “traumatized” as a mom. So she filed a Title IX criticism with the ED’s Workplace of Civil Rights.

“I simply could not consider it,” Chainey advised Fox Information Digital.

“UNR Athletics Division was discriminated towards by not introducing or providing for a Title IX officer to attend… I used to be offended, actually made. I felt like there was nobody there to guard the groups and the gamers… they actually turned it down [the player’s voices] as a result of their voices didn’t match into the NCAA’s gender ideology agenda.

“I used to be disgusted once I noticed that occur.”

UNR warned gamers of potential ‘authorized bother’ in the event that they did not play SJSU, and witness claims ’emotional blackmail’

After UNR introduced it could play SJSU in October, the Wolfpack gamers didn’t again down.

They went exterior with the intention of not enjoying the sport.

The varsity had a nationwide controversy on its palms whereas the volleyball season was nonetheless underway.

Marshi Smith, a former NCAA swimmer and co-founder of the Impartial Council on Girls’s Sports activities (ICONS), is a Nevada native who additionally leads the Nevada Lieutenant Governor’s Job Power on Defending Girls’s Sports activities. Throughout that season, the UNR gamers contacted her to share the alleged remedy they acquired from the college after they tried to flee their match with SJSU.

“There was intensive intimidation for the women on the UNR volleyball group to rethink their determination to not play at San Jose State College. There have been a number of completely different ways, from emotional blackmail to even insinuation that authorized challenges could possibly be filed,” Smith alleged.

“It was unclear to them what precisely that meant. But when somebody able of authority threatens you with all types of penalties for you should you get up on your rights, then that may be very severe.”

UNR beforehand confirmed to Fox Information Digital that it had raised issues about “authorized points” for the gamers if they didn’t play the match.

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“College officers met with the Nevada volleyball group and mentioned eventualities of what may occur in the event that they selected to not play. One of many eventualities mentioned revolved round potential authorized points for violating the Nevada Structure,” UNR mentioned final January.

The state’s structure was revised in 2022, when Democratic lawmakers voted to cross the Equal Rights Modification, which added gender identification to the record of range classifications protected by state regulation.

UNR athletics workers was “involved” about gamers’ interactions with Riley Gaines and conservative lawmakers

After the gamers introduced their intention to not play SJSU in October, UNR needed to navigate a nationwide media landmine.

Throughout correspondence on media requests and interviews, UNR Assistant AD of Strategic Communications Aaron Juarez advised Rempe he was “involved” concerning the gamers assembly with conservative influencer Riley Gaines and Idaho lawmakers for photograph ops.

Nevada Wolf Pack ladies’s volleyball gamers with Sam Brown and Tulsi Gabbard. (Sam Brown Marketing campaign)

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“My largest concern is not the media speaking to Shannon, it is Idaho lawmakers and different sorts (i.e. the Idaho Freedom Basis) connecting with [redacted] and all our gamers, or the gamers who join with them for photograph ops and the like. Or our group sporting these Riley Gaines jerseys,” the e-mail mentioned.

The gamers finally met and took pictures with Gaines and GOP politicians, together with Tulsi Gabbard, former U.S. Senate candidate and army veteran Sam Brown and Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla.

Republican Senate candidate Sam Brown, left, poses with Sia Liilii of Nevada, heart proper, and former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. (Sam Brown Marketing campaign)

UNR athletics positioned ‘subsequent steps in transgender training’ on the agenda

An Oct. 24 e mail from Rempe to Senior Affiliate Athletic Director of Administration Casey Stangel outlining the UNR athletics division’s upcoming priorities listed “Subsequent Steps for Transgender Training” as the ultimate merchandise.

Fox Information Digital has contacted UNR searching for clarification on why this merchandise was on the agenda and what the subsequent steps had been.

The match was by no means performed and the season fell aside

The college said in communications with the general public that gamers could be free to decide out of the SJSU recreation with out penalties.

The sport was finally moved from Nevada to San Jose simply days earlier than the October 26, 2024 date. Then, only a day earlier than the match, UNR introduced they had been forfeiting as a result of they did not have sufficient gamers prepared to compete.

The group then went 1-7 to complete the season afterward, ending 12-17 and effectively out of the postseason image.

“This case has hit our group morale fairly laborious. It was an enormous distraction and distracted us from what we had been doing there to play volleyball. Being pulled out and in of conferences and being requested concerning the occasions by outsiders actually obtained to our heads,” Liilii mentioned.

For Liilii, the influence of the scenario even seeped into her private life.

“By way of private life, I can say for myself that I’ve misplaced associates as a result of I used to be vocal on this subject. That is unlucky, however I strongly consider that that is simply not proper and one thing I could not preserve quiet about on the time,” she mentioned.

Chainey mentioned the morale of her daughter’s group was “horrible” and was “livid” that the group needed to take a loss from the forfeit.

“It is irritating that they are being punished like that as a result of they should not have taken a forfeit, they should not have taken a loss as a result of that was mirrored of their rankings,” Chainey mentioned.

“These younger feminine adults are being bullied.”

Issues did not get higher for UNR in 2025. It fell to final place within the Mountain West Convention at 8-20, and now faces a federal investigation in 2026.

Within the meantime, Liilii has moved on and performs skilled volleyball overseas.

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“My skilled volleyball profession has been enjoyable. I simply completed a season in Kosovo and shall be shifting to Germany in 2026. Nothing has stood in the best way of my involvement, however I’ve been requested concerning the scenario and why I really feel so strongly about this subject. I discovered that this subject has lots of assist from ladies from different nations,” Liilii mentioned.

Now Liilii, Chainey and Smith await the federal authorities’s upcoming fallout for SJSU and UNR.

In the meantime, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo is doing his half to forestall related conditions in his state.

Lombardo introduced in early January that he’s main a petition to amend the Nevada Structure to maintain transgender athletes out of ladies’ and girls’s sports activities.

The proposed poll initiative would require the state and different entities that obtain public funds, corresponding to faculties, schools or native athletic applications, or entities that govern them, to categorize every sport or competitors as male, feminine or blended/blended gender.

UNR’s response

UNR issued a press release to Fox Information Digital addressing the entire above findings and testimonies.

“The College has acquired correspondence from the U.S. Division of Training’s Workplace for Civil Rights and has responded appropriately via acceptable authorized and administrative channels.

“The College stays dedicated to fostering an inclusive, supportive and respectful campus surroundings for all of our college students. We acknowledge and uphold our tasks below state and federal regulation, together with the U.S. and Nevada Constitutions. The College additionally stays in compliance with the principles and rules of the Mountain West Convention and NCAA.

“As said within the Statement from the university dated October 17, 2024knowledgeable the administration that the college supported the gamers’ rights to decide on to not take part and that any member of the Wolf Pack ladies’s volleyball group who opted out of collaborating within the competitors may achieve this with out penalties and wouldn’t be topic to any disciplinary motion from the group.

“Our focus stays guaranteeing that each pupil has the chance to pursue their instructional {and professional} objectives in a secure and welcoming surroundings.”

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