"So much collusion and corruption in this story" - Riley Gaines slams SJSU's athletic director over investigation in Blaire Fleming controversy

Swimmer-turned-social-activist Riley Gaines recently shared her thoughts on the Blaire Fleming controversy. Gaines called out the SJSU's athletic director over the investigation that was allegedly carried out in favor of Fleming.

According to multiple media reports, an investigation was launched over the incident where a teammate was allegedly injured in the face by Fleming. It is revealed that the legal firm that was defending the eligibility of Fleming as a player was the same firm that led this investigation.

Gaines reacted to the entire episode as she posted on her X timeline (formerly Twitter):

"So much collusion and corruption in this story. Read it for yourself. The athletic director at is one of many who should resign in shame"

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Riley Gaines had previously campaigned against the participation of Blaire Fleming at the NCAA Mountain West Conference Volleyball League last year. She supported all the educational institutions that forfeited their matches against San Jose State University, viz., the University of Utah, Wyoming State University, the University of Nevada, Southern Utah University, etc.

Gaines also supported Brooke Slusser, who had spoken out against her teammate and was subject to massive backlash.

When Riley Gaines reacted to the death threats received by Brooke Slusser

Riley Gaines reacts to death threats received by Brooke Slusser [Image Source : Getty]

Riley Gaines had once reacted to the death threats received by Brooke Slusser. The SJSU player had spoken out against the participation of Blaire Fleming, who is a trans athlete.

Gaines slammed the University administration for being silent on this issue, as she posted on her X handle,

"A female player on SJSU volleyball team received death threats after signing on to the Gaines vs NCAA lawsuit. The DM said that her team needed to keep their distance from her because something bad was going to happen. So much for tolerance & inclusion..."

Brooke Slusser had also signed up for the lawsuit against the NCAA, which was filed by Riley Gaines and 15 other athletes in 2024. The lawsuit accused the NCAA of being biased towards the participation of trans athletes in women's sports.

Gaines had also called out the San Jose State University administration over the suspension of assistant coach Melissa Batie-Smoose, who had protested against the participation of Fleming at the NCAA Mountain West Conference Volleyball League. Gaines backed the coach for speaking out against Fleming.

About the author

Animesh Pandey is a seasoned content writer at Sportskeeda with over eight years of experience, having previously worked as an intern for Follow Your Sport before joining SK as a columnist in 2017. A graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing, he also worked at TFI Media Private Limited and contributed as an intern for the movie website Nettv4u.

He has extensively covered events from World Championships to the Olympics, providing insights and analyses that resonate with his audience. His belief in mastering the basics and delivering accurate, relevant, and ethical information through thorough research is reflected in his work.

He was notably invited to the National Sports and Adventure Awards 2018 at Rashtrapati Bhavan after winning a MyGov quiz on Indian Sports, where he engaged with celebrated athletes such as Rahi Sarnobat, Hima Das, Jinson Johnson, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, and Subedar Neeraj Chopra, who also happens to be his favorite Olympian.

Despite being a field hockey enthusiast, Animesh's most cherished Olympic moments include Wayde Van Niekerk's unexpected world record in the 400 meters at Rio and Chopra's historic gold medal in Tokyo.

When not immersed in writing or watching the Olympics, Animesh indulges in his love for movies, embracing quality cinema regardless of the language.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua