Former Cal softball player files suit alleging ex-coach pressured her into sexual relationship
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A former Cal softball player has filed a lawsuit claiming her coach - who abruptly resigned last summer - used her position of authority to pressure the student-athlete into a sexual relationship.
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The former UC Berkeley player, listed in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, accuses ex-coach Chelsea Spencer of retaliating against her by withholding playing opportunities after she tried to distance herself from the relationship.
The lawsuit filed in Alameda County Superior Court on Aug. 24 names the University of California Regents and Spencer as defendants and cites negligent hiring, supervision and failure to warn, train or educate.
Spencer abruptly resigned as head coach last June despite having signed a contract through 2028, citing the need to "prioritize (her) mental health and family."
UC Berkeley, through a spokesperson, declined to comment on the litigation.
The complaint alleges Spencer began communicating with Jane Doe "outside the ordinary confines of the coach-athlete relationship" shortly after the player joined the softball program in September 2023. Spencer allegedly called and texted Jane Doe every day and messaged her on Instagram from September and November that year, according to the lawsuit.
The messages quickly became romantic in nature, such as "you're so beautiful" and "your girlfriend is so lucky," according to the complaint. The former player claimed Spencer gave her "substantial" gifts and money, including approximately $450 through Zelle, $400 in cash and a pair of AirPods.
By May 2024, the conduct allegedly became sexual, the lawsuit claims. Jane Doe's attorneys wrote in the complaint that Spencer directed the player to come to her hotel room, where the two engaged in "prolonged kissing" and sex. The sexual contact continued sporadically for more than a year, according to the lawsuit.
The suit described the sex as "mutual in physical form" and not forced, but alleged Spencer cultivated a "pattern of rewards and consequences."
Once Jane Doe attempted to distance herself from Spencer from the physical relationship, the coach yelled at her and reduced or withheld her playing time, according to the lawsuit. Spencer also allegedly threatened to harm herself to prevent the student from withdrawing from the relationship, according to the lawsuit.
Spencer told Berkeleyside, which first reported on the lawsuit, she was not aware of the lawsuit. "If this is pending litigation, then the claims will be addressed in the appropriate legal processes," Spencer wrote in a response to Berkeleyside.
According to a UC Berkeley policy on conflicts of interests arising out of consensual relationships, individuals in positions of authority, such as coaches, are expected to "avoid apparent or actual conflict of interest, favoritism or bias."
Several members of UC Berkeley's softball coaching staff became aware of the relationship beginning in late 2023, the lawsuit states. In early 2025, Jane Doe's teammates reported concerns about the relationship, including preferential treatment and special privileges, to Associate Athletics Director Gordon Bayne, according to the lawsuit.
University policy requires faculty, managers and supervisors to report instances of sexual violence and sexual harassment.
Spencer allegedly spoke with Bayne in May 2025 about her relationship with Jane Doe. Shortly thereafter, the player was removed from the softball program and did not compete during what would have been her senior season, the complaint states.
UC Berkeley's Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination conducted a formal investigation into Spencer's interactions with Jane Doe, after receiving reports from athletics staff in May and June of 2025 about a "weirdly close" and "possibly physical" relationship, according to the lawsuit. Spencer declined to participate in the university investigation, the suit claims.
OPHD eventually determined Spencer engaged in a sexual relationship with Jane Doe, failed to disclose it to her supervisors while serving as head coach and violated the university's conflict of interest policy, according to Jane Doe's legal filing.
The lawsuit argues the university "failed to take reasonable protective measures" after staff members became aware - well before the OPHD investigation - of Spencer and Jane Doe's relationship and resulting preferential treatment. The player's lawyers also argued Spencer should not have been permitted to remain in her position as head coach, among other complaints of negligence from the university.
"Berkeley proudly holds itself out as the No. 1 public university in the world. That reputation comes with a responsibility to protect its students," Jane Doe's attorney, Gizem Gures, said in a statement to the Chronicle Wednesday. "It is deeply disappointing to see what our client experienced and how the university responded after its own investigation substantiated the conduct."
The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages from Spencer and the UC Regents, stating the conduct cost the former player her chance at a professional softball career, disrupted her academics and resulted in "psychological trauma."
"Our client deserved better," Gures said. "Berkeley's students deserve better. The university needs to do better."
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