Nearly a dozen NCAA athletes and one coach are suing the Mountain West Conference over alleged First Amendment violations that stem from a male athlete playing against women.

Officials at San Jose State University are also named in the lawsuit that alleges the female athletes were subject to a new "Transgender Participation Policy" that sought to "suppress the free speech rights of women athletes."

The lawsuit, backed by the Independent Council on Women's Sports, claims the defendants manipulated conference rules, "diminished sport opportunities for women," and used their position to punish dozens of female college athletes for taking a stand against having to compete against men in their sport.

That athlete is SJSU's transgender player, Blaire Fleming. Born Brayden, Fleming is a 6'1'' male whose inclusion on the team has sparked five separate forfeits from opposing teams

According to the provided Transgender Participation Policy, the decision whether to allow a "transgender athlete" to participate in intercollegiate athletics is at the discretion of each school, determined by its own "interaction with the individual [and] the application of state law."

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Shockingly, the policy states that the NCAA will "not entertain inquiries or challenges regarding the eligibility of transgender student-athletes." Schools are also not required to provide information to their opponents about whether or not there is a transgender athlete on their team.

"It shall be the discretion of the certifying institution whether or not to provide pertinent information," the policy states.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include three women from the University of Wyoming, two from Boise State, and two from University of Nevada Reno.

Nevada's Sia Liilii previously spoke to Blaze News, simply stating that she and her teammates got together and decided what was happening "isn't right."

Brooke Slusser (left) lines up alongside transgender athlete Blaire Fleming (right).Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images

'I will do everything to protect this opportunity for other girls and women.'

Two of Fleming's own teammates from SJSU have joined the lawsuit, along with the Associate Head Coach of Women’s Volleyball Melissa Batie-Smoose.

The coach was recently suspended after speaking out on the issue and even alleged that Fleming had conspired against his own teammate (Brooke Slusser, also named in the lawsuit) with an opponent to try to injure her.

Utah State captain Kaylie Ray, another plaintiff, called for more support from the Mountain West Conference and NCAA.

"We need leaders in the Mountain West and NCAA to step up. Being a woman in sports has shaped my life, and I will do everything to protect this opportunity for other girls and women."

San Jose State University and its staff have not returned requests for comments on the situation, nor have they been willing to address any claims made by the student-athletes or coach.

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The director of athletics at the University of Nevada has denied shocking allegations that she told female athletes at her school that a man was actually the athlete with a disadvantage when playing against women.

After the Nevada women's volleyball team made a very public forfeit against San Jose State University — the fifth team to do so — the group of women held a press conference to explain their decision.

The primary reason: SJSU has a 6'1" male — Blaire Fleming, born Brayden — on its roster.

'We were told we weren't educated enough.'

During their press conference, the Nevada players were led by captain Sia Liilii, who claimed that when the team spoke to school administrators, the officials refused to even listen to their statements:

"We were told we weren't educated enough, and we didn't understand the science," Liilii said.

Furthermore, Liilii told OutKick that Nevada athletic director Stephanie Rempe told the girls that it was actually Fleming who is "at a disadvantage" when competing against women due to being on testosterone blockers and estrogen supplements.

"She told us that it's harder for [Fleming] to play against [women] than it is for [women] to play against a male athlete," the team captain continued.

"[Rempe] went on to say that we would be liable for a lawsuit because we would be taking an opportunity away from San Jose State to play a game," Liilii added. "But, before [Rempe] said that, [Rempe said], 'I don't mean this as a threat or anything.'"

In an email to Blaze News, Rempe firmly denied the accusations made against her and said her interactions with her volleyball team lasted less than a total of 10 minutes:

The deputy athletics director and I met with the volleyball team and coaching staff on October 7, where every member of the team had an opportunity to share their feelings about the situation, ask questions, give their input on next steps and we provided the opportunity for resources.

I did not tell, and am unaware of any member of the athletics administrative team telling, members of our women’s volleyball team that they 'weren't educated enough,' that they 'didn't understand the science,' that they should reconsider their position or that they should 'stay quiet' regarding their participation in an Oct. 26 match that was scheduled against San Jose State University.

On October 14 and October 22, I spoke with the team for less than five minutes each time and those gatherings were operational in nature. At all three meetings, I shared our genuine apology for not sharing the statement released on October 3 in advance of their match against UNLV. As has been stated on multiple occasions, we continue to support the rights of the volleyball players who choose and choose not to participate.

The focus of our athletic department has always been on the well-being and success of our student-athletes, including their ability to learn and grow from their personal and competitive experiences at our University. This remains our overriding priority regarding all the members of our women’s volleyball team.

Blaze News also asked Rempe whether or not she believes that men or "transgender women" should be able to compete in the female category of NCAA athletics.

This article will be updated should be there be an applicable response from the university.

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Fleming's inclusion in women's volleyball has caused so much controversy in the Mountain West Conference that Boise State, Utah State, Wyoming, and now Nevada have forfeited matches. Southern Utah, which is in the Western Athletic Conference, also forfeited.

Fleming's teammate Brooke Slusser spoke to Blaze News about the unfair advantage the male athlete has and the reason teams are forfeiting against SJSU.

"I think we all know the reason the games are canceled," Slusser said.

At the same time, Nevada's Liilii has stated that while her team allegedly felt pressure to play against the male, they couldn't hold their true feelings inside.

"You could feel the fake energy because we were all trying to band together and ... just put this on the shelf and not think about it for a week," she recalled. "But honestly, as a woman, I don't know how to shut anything down."

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