Melissa Batie-Smoose lives in central California. Melissa was hired as the Assistant Head Volleyball Coach at San Jose State University in January, 2023. Prior to joining the San Jose State University team, Melissa was the Associate Head Coach at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Melissa has been coaching for over 25 years with coaching positions at the College of the Holy Cross, Cornell University, Florida State University, Wake Forest University and others.
During the interviewing process at San Jose State University, Melissa was not informed there was a man pretending to be a woman, playing on the SJSU women’s volleyball team. Had Melissa been told this, she would have declined the job offer. During this past season, several other collegiate women’s volleyball teams have refused to play SJSU because of the man on the SJSU team.
Melissa attempted to protect women’s sports and specifically the women on the SJSU team and their opponents. San Jose State University has attempted to silence Melissa and the women on the volleyball team. Standing for principle and for what is just and right for women athletes, Melissa spoke up and objected to the man on the SJSU women’s volleyball team. As a result, Melissa was suspended and most likely will lose her job permanently at SJSU.
San Jose State University doesn’t believe their coaches and athletes should be able to have opposing views from that of the university and that SJSU should be the sole judge as to what speech is allowed. SJSU is afraid of other opinions. If SJSU wasn’t afraid of open debate, they never would have suspended Melissa.
