A woman who previously played for Todd Kress, the current head volleyball coach at San Jose State University (SJSU), has publicly spoken for the first time about her alleged experience with him. These statements come two weeks after the accusations initially surfaced. Kress is also known for overseeing the 2024 SJSU season, which faced controversy due to a transgender athlete scandal involving Blaire Fleming and teammate Brooke Slusser.
The former player, who was coached by Kress at Fairfield University, first brought her allegations to the attention of SJSU officials in October 2024.
"I informed both Fairfield and SJSU of my 1998 encounter with Todd after reading accounts of young women on the 2024 SJSU team describing his intimidation, coercive, and manipulative behaviors," the woman stated. "Why don’t some women come forward after being assaulted by those in positions of power? It’s a fair question. One needs to look no further than the situation at SJSU."
Details of the Alleged 1998 Incident
According to a letter from the former Fairfield player, the alleged incident involving Kress occurred in a hotel room in December 1998. This was after Fairfield’s defeat to Clemson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
"He immediately took caramel from a plastic container and smeared it all over my face and hair. He then forcibly threw me on the bed and held me down. I was in shock. He let go of me and then pulled his pants down and put his back side in my face," the letter alleges.
"Todd again grabbed me, picked me up, and threw me into the bathtub where he held me down and threatened to turn on the shower with me laying there to ‘clean the caramel off of my face.’ At this point I was fighting back to get away from him."
"Todd let me get out of the tub, laughing, and then he stood in front of the door blocking my exit. Todd told me he would only let me leave if I took a shot of liquor, which I did only to get him to move away from the door. Once he did, I ran for it. He chased me. I got into my room and although he seemed to be in a rage, he turned and calmly walked out," the letter further states.
University and Coach's Silence Amidst Public Allegations
Despite the allegations being public for 14 days and multiple inquiries, neither SJSU nor Coach Kress has publicly addressed the claims. During this period, Kress has posted on social media, highlighting his new recruiting class. The former player expressed skepticism regarding SJSU's handling of her complaint.
"Did SJSU investigate my complaint? They were given information that would have allowed them to corroborate my claims. Their refusal to release their investigative steps and final determination allows for much speculation," she added.
Her primary motivation for coming forward was a desire to safeguard other young women. "My singular motivation was a hope that in bringing to the attention of school administrators what Todd did to me, they might act to protect young women. I trusted the system and chose to operate without public attention."
Brooke Slusser, a current SJSU player who is suing the university over her own alleged experiences playing under Kress and alongside Fleming, stated that the school provided no information about the allegations. "The school gave us absolutely zero information. This was never brought up once," Slusser commented.
Broader Investigations and Legal Challenges
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) conducted a Title IX investigation into SJSU concerning the transgender scandal. This investigation determined that the university allegedly chose not to suspend or remove its head volleyball coach during the 2024 scandal, despite receiving Title IX-related complaints against him. The findings indicated that the decision not to suspend "Coach 2" (referring to Kress) included improper considerations, such as the concern that his suspension "could also spark more media attention." University records showed that officials, including the President, agreed not to suspend him, believing it would "unduly disrupt the team." However, the ED's investigation findings did not reference the former Fairfield player or her letter. SJSU and the California State University (CSU) system are currently challenging these findings in a lawsuit against the department.
Separately, Melissa Batie-Smoose, a former associate head coach, was suspended and later not offered a contract renewal after filing a Title IX complaint regarding the team's handling of Fleming and the female athletes in 2024. Batie-Smoose is now pursuing a wrongful termination lawsuit against SJSU.
SJSU's Response to Records Requests and Subsequent Outreach
When asked for records related to these matters, the SJSU public records office responded, stating that the requested documents were not disclosable under the Public Records Act.
"First, the request seeks documents exempt under attorney-client privilege. Additionally, the requested communications implicate substantial privacy interests. Disclosure of these records would therefore constitute an invasion of privacy that outweighs the public interest in disclosure," the office explained.
Further clarification from the university cited specific exemptions: "Specifically, these records are being withheld subject to the following exemptions: Personnel Records/Privacy... General Privacy Rights... [and the] Balancing Test. Here, the public interest served by disclosure is minimal and is outweighed by the public interest served against disclosure in protecting substantial and significant privacy rights."
Despite the initial denial of records, Peter Lim, who was then SJSU's interim Title IX and Gender Equity Officer, contacted the former player and her attorney on November 4, 2024, to arrange a meeting.
"Thank you for sharing your concerns about Coach Todd Kress. I am sorry to hear about your experiences. I have reviewed your letter and would like to meet with you to better understand your experiences with Coach Kress. The purpose of the meeting would be to help me assess potential next steps, which may or may not include an investigation into the reported conduct," Lim wrote.
Three days later, on November 7, Lim sent a follow-up email, thanking the former Fairfield player and her attorney for the meeting.
"I am so sorry about your prior experiences with Todd Kress at Fairfield University. I appreciate the time you took to describe those experiences, the impact those experiences continue to have on you, and the safety threat that you believe he presents to SJSU’s volleyball team," Lim stated. "We are evaluating the information you provided and determining appropriate next steps. If it is okay with the two of you, I would appreciate staying in touch."
