This is the moment a university graduate was told she couldn’t wear a t-shirt that said ‘Keep Women’s Sports Female’ while watching her school’s volleyball match against transgender athlete Blaire Fleming.
In exclusive images obtained by passAir Force Academy officials can be heard telling John Kopecky to cover his controversial jersey during their game against San Jose State and Fleming, who is a biological male.
Kopecky was first forced to unbutton his hoodie and reveal what he was wearing underneath, only to be told he couldn’t show the shirt because the message was “political” and not allowed.
While being allowed in, Air Force officials told him they would order him to leave if he unbuttoned his hoodie, and several eyes were said to be on him during the game.
“I saw security pointing me toward the superintendent (and) the commander,” Kopecky said. “I could see out of the corner of my eye that they were pointing towards where I was sitting.”
Transgender volleyball player Blaire Fleming has been at the center of a fierce controversy
Fleming, who is in her third season on the San Jose State women’s volleyball roster, is at the center of a class-action lawsuit filed against the NCAA, which is being accused by more than a dozen athletes of knowingly violating a law that prohibits sex. Discrimination based on allowing a transgender athlete to compete in women’s sports.
Several opponents have also refused to play San Jose State in recent months due to safety concerns about their trans player.
Kopecky also talked about other changes to the usual process at Air Force volleyball games, with security also not allowing fans to bring signs into the facility.
A large sign containing a code of conduct for fans was also more visible than ever.
“They put out a big board with all these rules about fan conduct that may have been there in the past, but I’ve never seen it (displayed) right on the door,” Kopecky said.
A fan captured the moment she was told she couldn’t wear a ‘Keep Women’s Sports Female’ t-shirt during the Air Force Academy game against San Jose State and Fleming.
Fleming, who is a biological male, participated in San Jose State’s victory over Air Force.
The redshirt senior is currently at the center of a class-action lawsuit filed against the NCAA.
The Air Force Academy is quoted as saying in a statement: “Air Force Athletics takes necessary steps to provide a safe environment at all local sporting events for players, coaches, staff and fans.”
San Jose State beat Air Force that day to finish 11-3 on the season.
As the dispute over trans athletes in women’s sports continues, Fleming, who has yet to publicly come out as trans, sparked more controversy earlier this month by launching a vicious spike into an opponent’s face.
The peak took place on the SJSU campus with the San Diego State Aztecs leading the San Jose State Spartans 22-12 in the second set.
That’s when Fleming was set up by teammate Brooke Slusser before firing a shot into the face of San Diego State’s Keira Herron.
“Keira Herron has some pink in her hair and her face is starting to look like it matches that since she obviously made the contact,” an announcer said in the video, which quickly went viral.
Surprisingly, Herron kept the play alive, though only momentarily before the point finally went to the Spartans. What’s more, he even laughed afterwards as he appeared to tell a teammate he was “fine.”
Fleming was cleared by San Jose State to play on the SJSU women’s volleyball team for three seasons and will join in 2022.
ICONS has notified the Mountain West Conference of athlete safety concerns regarding Fleming, who was named in a federal lawsuit filed by the organization. Slusser, the SJSU player who prepared Fleming for the aforementioned peak, has since joined that lawsuit.