UNR Women’s Volleyball Team Alleges ‘Emotional Blackmail’ and Intimidation Over Match Against Trans Athlete

The University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) is facing mounting backlash after members of its women’s volleyball team accused school officials of bullying, gaslighting, and threatening legal repercussions if they refused to compete against a transgender athlete from San Jose State University (SJSU) in California. 

The explosive allegations, revealed in a recent investigative report, have amplified a federal Title IX probe into UNR’s gender policies in athletics and drawn parallels to broader battles over transgender participation in women’s sports, including a new Nevada ballot initiative spearheaded by Gov. Joe Lombardo and Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony.

The 2024 incident stemmed from UNR’s scheduled match against SJSU, which included transgender outside hitter Blaire Fleming, a biological male. UNR players voiced strong objections, citing concerns over safety, competitive fairness, and the preservation of opportunities for female athletes. 

Former team captain Sia Liilii recounted the tense team meeting, where officials allegedly downplayed their worries: “A bunch of the girls and I expressed not wanting to play for the reasons of safety, fairness, and an opportunity for women in sports being taken away by a male athlete,” Liilii said. She described the response as dismissive, with officials insisting Fleming’s hormone treatments—estrogen and testosterone blockers—eliminated any advantage, urging the team to “listen to the facts.”

Marshi Smith, co-founder of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) and a former NCAA swimmer who has investigated similar cases, labeled the tactics as “sweeping intimidation” and “emotional blackmail.” 

“When someone in a position of authority threatens you with various consequences for you standing up for your rights, that’s a really serious thing,” Smith told reporters, adding that such pressure erodes trust in athletic programs and violates the spirit of Title IX.

April Chainey, mother of a former UNR player, provided further details in her Title IX complaint, calling the meeting traumatizing: “UNR Athletics Department discriminated by not suggesting or offering a Title IX officer to be present… I was mad, really mad. I felt like there was nobody there to protect the teams and the players.” Chainey accused officials of sidelining dissenting voices and prioritizing NCAA gender ideology over athlete welfare, describing the session as rife with bullying and discrimination.

Despite the alleged coercion, UNR forfeited the match in late 2024 due to insufficient players, after officials belatedly offered a no-consequences opt-out. The team subsequently faltered, posting a 12-17 record with seven losses in eight games post-incident, while SJSU finished 14-7 with Fleming’s contributions. Similar forfeits by schools like Boise State and Wyoming underscored the national divide.

The revelations have bolstered a January 2026 U.S. Department of Education investigation into UNR—one of 18 nationwide—for potential Title IX violations by permitting transgender participation based on gender identity rather than biological sex. 

In a related ruling, the department found SJSU in violation of Title IX for allowing Fleming to compete, ordering remedies including record restorations and apologies to impacted athletes. UNR maintains compliance with all laws and is cooperating with the probe.

Amid the UNR fallout, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo announced last month that he is leading the “Protect Girls’ Sports in Nevada” ballot initiative, aiming to amend the state Constitution to bar transgender athletes from female sports. The petition, filed by the Protect Girls’ Sports PAC, would require publicly funded entities—like schools and colleges—to categorize sports as male, female, or coed, explicitly forbidding those assigned male at birth from girls’ or women’s competitions.

Lombardo, a Republican seeking re-election, emphasized the measure’s importance in a press release: “We are taking thoughtful steps to ensure girls’ sports are fair and athletes are safe,” he said in a press release. “It’s important that female athletes have the opportunity to succeed in their athletic field. By bringing together a diverse coalition now, we can establish clear and fair standards that protect generations of female athletes to come.”

Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony, who in January 2025 formed a task force to support similar legislation, has joined the effort. The initiative proposes tweaking Nevada’s 2022 Equal Rights Amendment to include protections for girls’ sports, despite opposition from legislative Democrats and LGBTQ+ groups like Silver State Equality, which condemned it as discriminatory.

The Nevada Equal Rights Amendment was approved by voters in 2022 after Nevada Democrats unanimously passed the initiative twice with a legislative majority. The legislation was sponsored by Democratic State Senator Nicole Cannizzaro who is now running for Attorney General in the 2026 election.

The precise text of the amendment is:

“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by this State or any of its political subdivisions on account of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry or national origin.”

This constitutional provision prohibits the state government and its subdivisions (such as cities and counties) from denying or limiting equal rights based on these characteristics.

The “Protect Girls Sports” initiative, would amend Nevada’s Equal Rights Amendment to explicitly protect fairness in girls’ athletics. Following legal review, signature gathering will commence statewide. The ballot measure requires nearly 149,000 valid signatures by June 2026 to qualify for the ballot in 2026 and 2028, needing passage twice to amend the constitution.

The effort is spearheaded by directors Adriana Guzmán Fralick, Assemblywoman Heidi Kasama, and Erica Neely, who each highlighted the personal and societal stakes involved. Fralick is running on the Republican ticket for Attorney General in 2026. Kasama is running as a Republican for the Clark County Commission (District F) and Neely is running for State Senate District 9 as a Republican.

As federal probes continue, advocates warn of lasting damage to women’s athletics. “This is a really serious thing,” Smith reiterated, urging accountability. UNR officials declined further comment, but the scandal underscores the high stakes in nationwide battle to protect female sports and private spaces.