John Manly, an attorney who represented victims of Larry Nassar, has sharply criticized San Jose State University (SJSU) and the California State University (CSU) system, alleging a systemic failure to protect female students and athletes. Manly's comments come in the wake of reports of assault allegations against current volleyball coach Todd Kress during the 2024 season, at a time when the university was already facing scrutiny for its handling of a transgender athlete on the same team.
Manly, who previously served as lead counsel for Simone Biles and other women abused by Nassar, stated that the university's approach to Title IX processes appears to be focused on mitigating institutional liability rather than safeguarding students. "The school needs a wake-up call, and frankly, new leadership," Manly told Fox News Digital.
This is not the first time Manly has represented SJSU athletes in cases of alleged abuse. He previously served as legal counsel for female athletes at the university who experienced sexual abuse by a trainer between 2009 and 2020. That case resulted in the university settling with the U.S. Department of Justice for $1.6 million in September 2021, to be distributed among 13 female student-athletes. The investigation found that the former head trainer, Scott Shaw, subjected athletes to unwelcome sexual touching under the guise of medical treatment, and that SJSU ignored complaints for over a decade.
Manly sees parallels between the culture surrounding the current volleyball scandal and past incidents at SJSU and other institutions, including Michigan State University, where the Nassar case unfolded. "When you have a culture that doesn't value students and frankly treats them as funding devices... this is what happens," he said.
Recent developments include a determination by the U.S. Department of Education in late January that SJSU violated Title IX in its handling of the volleyball team. However, SJSU and CSU subsequently sued the federal government to challenge these findings. Simultaneously, the university faces a lawsuit from 11 female players who allege negative experiences related to the transgender athlete on the team, including claims that they were not informed of allegations against Coach Kress.
Allegations against Kress surfaced through a letter sent to SJSU in October 2024 by a former player who coached under him at Fairfield University in the late 1990s. The letter details an alleged incident in a hotel room in 1998, in which the former player accused Kress, who she stated was drunk, of smearing caramel on her face, forcibly throwing her on a bed, and exposing himself to her. The letter further alleges Kress threatened to turn on a shower while she was in a bathtub and blocked her exit until she took a shot of liquor.
SJSU Athletic Director Jeff Konya acknowledged receipt of the letter on the same day it was sent. Shortly after, an interim Title IX and Gender Equity Officer for SJSU, Peter Lim, reached out to the former player and her attorney, expressing sorrow for her experiences and stating an intention to assess potential next steps, which might include an investigation.
However, Manly expressed skepticism about the follow-up process, suggesting that such complaints often languish within university legal counsel's offices. "Lawyers rarely find their own clients guilty," he commented, implying a bias toward protecting the institution. He believes the university's actions prioritize retaining winning coaches and protecting its reputation over student safety.
Manly also criticized SJSU's refusal to release documents related to the allegations against Kress, citing privacy exemptions. He contends that public safety concerns should outweigh privacy interests in such cases. "It's completely bogus. There's a whole litany of California cases that says the safety of others... outweighs that," he stated, suggesting that names of victims could be redacted.
He hopes that legislative bodies will intervene by issuing subpoenas to compel the release of information and hold hearings into the matter. "The legislature could subpoena these people, and they should," Manly urged.