Former Cal softball player sues university and ex-coach over coerced sexual relationship

A former Cal softball athlete, filing under the pseudonym Jane Doe, has brought a legal action against the University of California and former head coach Chelsea Spencer, asserting that Spencer coerced her into a year-long sexual relationship that began on a 2024 road trip. The suit alleges Spencer used gifts, cash and preferential treatment on the field to manipulate the player, and punished her with reduced playing opportunities when she resisted.

University administrators, including associate athletics director Gordon Bayne, were allegedly informed of the affair by December 2023 and again by February 2025, but no action was taken to remove Spencer. After the relationship was reported, the plaintiff says she was taken off the roster, ending her softball career and prompting her to complete her degree online. Spencer resigned in June 2025, citing mental-health reasons, while the university issued a brief statement of gratitude. The lawsuit seeks damages from the UC system for policy failures and from Spencer for intentional infliction of emotional distress.