SJSU volleyball coach's alleged assault victim speaks out for the first time since allegations surfaced

EXCLUSIVE: The pistillate who has accused existent San Jose State University (SJSU) caput volleyball manager Todd Kress of attacking her successful a edifice country has travel guardant with her archetypal statements since the allegations went public. Kress is wide known for overseeing the arguable 2024 play that was overshadowed by a trans jock ungraded involving Blaire Fleming and pistillate teammate Brooke Slusser.

The woman, who antecedently played for Kress astatine Fairfield University, informed SJSU officials successful October 2024 of her alleged acquisition with the coach.

"SJSU has known I feared for the information of the women successful the programme since October of 2024 and yet they person allowed Todd to proceed to manager and question with the team," she told Fox News Digital connected the information of anonymity.

"I informed some Fairfield and SJSU of my 1998 brushwood with Todd aft speechmaking accounts of young women connected the 2024 SJSU squad describing his intimidation, coercive, and manipulative behaviors.

"Why don’t immoderate women travel guardant aft being assaulted by those successful positions of power? It’s a just question. One needs to look nary further than the concern astatine SJSU."

INSIDE THE FALLOUT OF THE SJSU VOLLEYBALL SCANDAL: ‘THIS IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM’

Kress's alleged unfortunate is speaking retired 2 weeks aft the allegations were archetypal reported.

Neither SJSU nor Kress has addressed the allegations since past contempt aggregate inquiries, and the manager has made aggregate societal media posts boasting his caller recruiting people successful that clip arsenic well.

Fox News Digital reported connected July 7 that during the SJSU volleyball trans jock scandal's highest successful the autumn of 2024, administrators received an email from the pistillate successful October of that year. The email included a missive to Fairfield that included the allegations that Kress attacked the subordinate successful a edifice country successful 1998.

Emails obtained by Fox News Digital via an autarkic verified root amusement that SJSU officials acknowledged the receipt of the allegations, met with the erstwhile Fairfield subordinate and her lawyer, thanked her for coming guardant and adjacent apologized for her experiences.

Fox News Digital submitted a nationalist records petition to SJSU seeking emails related to an probe of those allegations, but the petition was denied, with SJSU citing privateness exemptions and attorney-client privilege.

"Did SJSU analyse my complaint? They were fixed accusation that would person allowed them to corroborate my claims. Their refusal to merchandise their investigative steps and last determination allows for overmuch speculation," the erstwhile subordinate added.

"My singular information was a anticipation that successful bringing to the attraction of schoolhouse administrators what Todd did to me, they mightiness enactment to support young women. I trusted the strategy and chose to run without nationalist attention."

Fox News Digital has verified her individuality and that she played for Kress astatine Fairfield successful 1998.

Slusser, who played nether Kress for 2 seasons successful 2023-24, antecedently told Fox News Digital that she and different teammates successful 2024 were not told of the allegations that fall.

"The schoolhouse gave america perfectly zero information. This was ne'er brought up once." Slusser said. Slusser is presently suing SJSU for her ain alleged acquisition playing nether Kress and alongside Fleming.

The alleged incidental involving Kress and the erstwhile Fairfield subordinate occurred successful a edifice aft Fairfield’s nonaccomplishment to Clemson successful the archetypal circular of the 1998 NCAA Tournament successful December, according to her letter.

Part of the missive alleges, "He instantly took caramel from a integrative instrumentality and smeared it each implicit my look and hair. He past forcibly threw maine connected the furniture and held maine down. I was successful shock. He fto spell of maine and past pulled his pants down and enactment his backmost broadside successful my face.

SJSU DIDN'T PENALIZE VOLLEYBALL COACH DURING TRANS SCANDAL AMID TITLE IX COMPLAINTS, FEDERAL FINDINGS ALLEGE

"Todd again grabbed me, picked maine up, and threw maine into the bathtub wherever helium held maine down and threatened to crook connected the ablution with maine laying determination to ‘clean the caramel disconnected of my face.’ At this constituent I was warring backmost to get distant from him.

"Todd fto maine get retired of the tub, laughing, and past helium stood successful beforehand of the doorway blocking my exit. Todd told maine helium would lone fto maine permission if I took a changeable of liquor, which I did lone to get him to determination distant from the door. Once helium did, I ran for it. He chased me. I got into my country and though helium seemed to beryllium successful a rage, helium turned and calmly walked out," the missive alleges.

Fox News Digital has sent aggregate inquiries to Kress, SJSU and the California State University strategy (CSU) for a effect to the allegations and the player's latest statements, but nary of the parties has addressed the issue.

The allegations person been nationalist for 14 days.

A U.S. Department of Education (ED) Title IX probe into SJSU implicit the transgender ungraded determined that the assemblage allegedly made the determination to not suspend oregon relieve its caput volleyball manager during the team's 2024 transgender scandal, contempt Title IX-related complaints against the coach. The investigation’s findings made nary notation of the erstwhile Fairfield subordinate and her letter.

The findings bash not notation the manager by name, but Fox News Digital reasonably believes the fig titled "Coach 2" successful the findings to beryllium Kress.

"Additional notes bespeak the determination to not suspend Coach 2 besides included the improper consideration: 'If we relieve him… [w]e could besides spark much media attention…. ' University records bespeak University officials, including the President of the University, agreed to not suspend Coach 2 due to the fact that they felt his suspension would unduly disrupt the team," the findings state.

However, the probe did not disclose what those complaints were, and SJSU and the CSU are suing the section to situation those findings.

Meanwhile, erstwhile associated caput manager Melissa Batie-Smoose was suspended and aboriginal did not person her declaration renewed, aft submitting a Title IX ailment implicit the team's alleged handling of Fleming and the women connected the squad successful 2024. Batie-Smoose is waging a wrongful termination suit against SJSU.

SJSU has withheld applicable records and has not responded to questions

Fox News Digital precocious submitted a nationalist records petition to SJSU seeking emails related to SJSU's probe of the allegations against Kress, but the petition was denied.

"SJSU has conducted a tenable hunt for these records nether California Government Code §7922.535 and has determined the requested records are not disclosable nether the Public Records Act," the SJSU nationalist records bureau responded.

"First, the petition seeks documents exempt nether attorney-client privilege. Additionally, the requested communications implicate important privateness interests. Disclosure of these records would truthful represent an penetration of privateness that outweighs the nationalist involvement successful disclosure."

Prior to that, Fox News Digital submitted a ceremonial nationalist records petition to San Jose State University seeking copies of the Oct. 24, 2024 ailment missive that was sent to the schoolhouse by Kress's erstwhile player, a Nov. 1 follow-up email, and a Nov. 7 effect to the pistillate from the university's Title IX office.

But that grounds was besides denied.

"The requested communications implicate important privateness interests," the university's effect stated.

"Disclosure of these records would truthful represent an penetration of privateness that outweighs the nationalist involvement successful disclosure. Specifically, these records are being withheld taxable to the pursuing exemptions: Personnel Records/Privacy... General Privacy Rights... [and the] Balancing Test. Here, the nationalist involvement served by disclosure is minimal and is outweighed by the nationalist involvement served against disclosure successful protecting important and important privateness rights."

Fox News Digital was fixed copies of emails exchanged betwixt SJSU and the erstwhile Fairfield player, from an independently verified source. The missive with the allegations was forwarded to SJSU medication connected Oct. 24, 2024, and a effect acknowledging receipt of the missive was sent aboriginal that aforesaid day.

Then connected Nov. 4, 2024, erstwhile SJSU interim Title IX and Gender Equity Officer Peter Lim reached retired to acceptable up a gathering with the erstwhile subordinate and her attorney.

"Thank you for sharing your concerns astir Coach Todd Kress. I americium atrocious to perceive astir your experiences. I person reviewed your missive and would similar to conscionable with you to amended recognize your experiences with Coach Kress. The intent of the gathering would beryllium to assistance maine measure imaginable adjacent steps, which whitethorn oregon whitethorn not see an probe into the reported conduct," Lim wrote.

Three days aft that, connected Nov. 7, Lim sent different email to the erstwhile Fairfield player, thanking her and her lawyer for gathering with them.

"I americium truthful atrocious astir your anterior experiences with Todd Kress astatine Fairfield University. I admit the clip you took to picture those experiences, the interaction those experiences proceed to person connected you, and the information menace that you judge helium presents to SJSU’s volleyball team," Lim wrote.

"We are evaluating the accusation you provided and determining due adjacent steps. If it is good with the 2 of you, I would admit staying successful touch."

There was nary further correspondence betwixt the 2 parties aft that exchange, Fox News Digital has learned.

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Fox News Digital has posed aggregate questions to Kress, Lim, SJSU admins and nationalist records bureau clerks, and CSU spokespeople regarding their responses to the allegations, the woman's caller statements, Slusser's statements, what, if any, probe took spot into the allegations, and wherefore they deem disclosure of the requested records are not capable successful the nationalist involvement to warrant disclosure. But nary effect to those questions has been fixed by immoderate of the parties.

Fox News Digital has reached retired to Fairfield for a effect to the erstwhile player's allegations and caller statement, but was told by a spokesperson, "The assemblage does not remark connected erstwhile oregon existent unit matters."