Lawsuit alleges coach coerced player into sexual relationship
A former University of California, Berkeley softball player has filed a lawsuit alleging that head coach Chelsea Spencer coerced her into a sexual relationship and retaliated against her when she tried to end it. The complaint, filed August 24 in Alameda County Superior Court, names Spencer and the University of California regents as defendants, according to multiple news reports.
The former player, identified only as Jane Doe in court filings, alleges that Spencer pursued her "almost immediately" after she arrived on campus in 2023 on a full athletic scholarship. According to the lawsuit, Spencer sent the player daily text and Instagram messages, gave gifts including cash and AirPods, and made comments about the player's appearance and personal life. The suit claims Spencer said the player was "so beautiful" and told her "your girlfriend is so lucky."
When the player was unresponsive, Spencer allegedly became angry and retaliated by reducing her playing time, while showing favoritism when the player was attentive. The lawsuit alleges the relationship became sexual beginning on a road trip in May 2024 and continued through the spring of 2025.
Retaliation and threats after breakup
According to the lawsuit, when the player attempted to end the relationship in April 2025, Spencer barred her from pitching and threatened to kill herself. The suit claims Spencer required the player to keep the relationship secret.
The lawsuit also describes an argument before a road game at Florida State in April 2025 that led to the player being removed from a pitching appearance. The player was ultimately removed from the team in May 2025, according to the complaint. The lawsuit says the player then left campus to finish her degree online.
The lawsuit quotes the plaintiff as saying she "lost an entire season of collegiate competition at a critical stage in her athletic development," describing Spencer's conduct as "extreme, outrageous and beyond all bounds of conduct ordinarily tolerated in a civilized society."
Claims that officials knew
The lawsuit alleges that university officials were aware of the relationship long before it ended. Two graduate student-athletes reportedly told supervisory athletics personnel about the relationship in May 2025. The University of California, Berkeley Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination received reports in May and June 2025, according to the filing.
More significantly, the suit claims that an associate head coach and a pitching coach knew of the relationship as early as December 2023. By February 2025, a different pitching coach and Spencer's wife also reportedly knew. The lawsuit alleges that other players raised concerns to senior officials, including associate athletics director Gordon Bayne, yet Spencer was not removed from her position.
Michael Carney, an attorney for the player, described the situation as "an institutional failure," as reported by SFGATE.
Context and responses
Spencer's five-year tenure as head coach ended in June 2025. SFGATE reported that Spencer resigned on June 23, 2025, citing mental health and family reasons in a since-deleted social media post. She had become head coach in 2020, led the team to the NCAA Tournament for three straight years, and signed a contract extension in February 2025.
The lawsuit comes amid broader scrutiny of Cal's athletics program. SFGATE noted that eighteen swimmers have sued Cal over alleged abuse by former swim coach Teri McKeever, and that at least nine players and parents have alleged verbal and emotional abuse by soccer coach Neil McGuire.
In response to inquiries about the lawsuit, UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof offered no comment. The Mercury News and Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported that the university's communications team did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and attempts to reach Spencer directly were unsuccessful.
The lawsuit is seeking damages from the university and Spencer for intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to SFGATE.