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Riley Gaines reacted to Brooke Slusser getting death threats through a DM after she signed the lawsuit to sue the NCAA for transgender athletes' inclusion in women's sports. The message, received by one of her teammates, warned the team to stay away from Slusser, claiming that something displeasing was in store for her at the volleyball game at Colorado State the following day.
Brooke Slusser had stood up against transgender participation in women's sports when she realized that she reportedly shared the locker room with a transgender athlete, Blaire Fleming. Fleming, who joined San Jose State University in 2022, played volleyball on the team for two seasons and made waves with dominant performances.
Amid the gender controversy, Southern Utah was the first opponent college to forfeit its match against the Spartans, followed by Boise State, and Wyoming. The response of other college teams prompted SJSU to increase campus security but a recent death threat raised concerns again.
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On October 2, 2024, one of Brooke Slusser's teammates received a DM, which warned the other players to keep their distance from the former since something unpleasant was planned for her. This came after the 21-year-old joined the Riley Gaines-headed lawsuit to sue the NCAA for the inclusion of biological males in women's sports.
Slusser's death threat didn't sit well with Gaines, who took to her X (formerly Twitter) handle on October 18 to pinpoint how much athletes go through for tolerance and inclusion.
"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," Gaines wrote.
According to OutKick, the women's volleyball team of Nevada Wolfpack also voted to turn down Spartans ahead of their scheduled match on October 26, 2024.
Riley Gaines called out the NCAA after Blaire Fleming's spike hit the female opponent's face
On October 18, 2024, the Spartans trounced New Mexico Lobos, claiming the win 3-1. The opponents engaged in a nice rally when Fleming was chosen for a spike, which hit the libero of the Lobos on her face and threw her on the ground. Though Fleming led with 18 kills, her action further raised criticism from Riley Gaines.
Gaines, who has been advocating against transgender inclusion since sharing the swimming pool with Lia Thomas in 2022, took to her X to call out the 'leaders' in the wake of women's injustice.
"If you're wondering why teams are forfeiting against @SJSU, here's the reason. Last night another woman was smashed in the face by a kill from a man posing as a woman. It's unfair, unsafe, and regressive, yet our "leaders" remain silent," she wrote.
Gaines introduced the "Riley Gaines Center" at the Leadership Institute in Virginia in August 2024, aiming to work toward women's safety and rights in sports.
