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4d ago

Former Cal Softball Player Sues Coach and UC Regents Over Alleged Coerced Sexual Relationship

The complaint makes campus investigators' findings public, accusing the university of failing to protect the athlete.

FILE: UC Berkeley head coach Chelsea Spencer reacts during an NCAA softball game against Southern Illinois in Baton Rouge, La., on May 17, 2024. 
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Overview

  • The anonymous plaintiff filed the lawsuit in Alameda County Superior Court on Aug. 24, 2026, accusing former head coach Chelsea Spencer of using her authority to coerce a sexual relationship and then retaliating when the player tried to end it.
  • The complaint says the relationship started after the player transferred to Cal in 2023 and became sexual during a May 2024 team trip when the coach summoned the player to a hotel room.
  • The filing alleges Spencer used daily calls, gifts and control over playing time as rewards and punishments, including reducing the player's game opportunities when she did not respond to the coach's demands.
  • The suit cites the university's Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination as finding Spencer violated conflict-of-interest rules and says teammates and staff reported concerns to athletics officials but no effective protective action followed.
  • The plaintiff seeks unspecified damages for emotional harm, lost athletic opportunity and disrupted academics and the case puts renewed scrutiny on Cal Athletics' handling of misconduct complaints.