Report: Former Cal Softball Player Files Lawsuit Against Ex-Coach

Former Cal softball coach Chelsea Spencer is being sued by a former Golden Bears player who alleges that Spencer pressured her to have a sexual relationship and then decreased her playing time when she tried to end the relationship, according to reports from The Athletic and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Spencer resigned as Cal’s softball coach on June 23, 2025, in a surprising announcement that offered no reason for her departure. She had signed a three-year contract extension in February 2025, and Cal had finished the 2025 season with a 37-21 record, which included a berth in the NCAA tournament

A few days after the announcement Spencer, who was a standout player for Cal as a student, said on her twitter page that she left “to prioritize my mental health and my family.”

A number of Cal’s top players left the school as transfers soon after the 2025 season ended.

Catcher Lagi Quiroga, a first-team all-ACC selection, decided to transfer, and second-team all-ACC infielders Tianna Bell and Elon Butler as well as three other frontline players also transferred.

According to The Athletic report the player is referred to as Jane Doe in the lawsuit, and she filed a complaint in the Alameda Superior Court on August 24. Besides Spencer, the suit also names the UC Board of Regents and a series of other people identified as “administrators, athletic directors, supervisors, employees, agents” who “participated in, facilitated, enabled, concealed, ratified, or are otherwise responsible for the intentional misconduct.”

The Athletic obtained the filing, which alleges that Spencer engaged in sexual assault and battery and intentionally causing emotional distress.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the lawsuit alleges that soon after Jane Doe became a member of the Cal softball program in September 2023, Spencer initiated discussions with her “outside the ordinary confines of the coach-athlete relationship.”

The lawsuit claims Spencer tried to contact Jane Doe nearly every day through social media for the next three months.

The messages eventually became more romantic, and Jane Doe alleges that Spencer gave her gifts and money.

The complaint alleges that in May 2024, the interaction became sexual, and that the sexual contact continued off and on for a year.

The Athletic reported the lawsuit claimed that when the player no longer responded to her coach’s communications, Spencer became angry and decreased the player’s playing time.

The Athletic also reported that the complaint stated that in February 2025, other members of the softball team brought concerns to associate athletic director Gordon Bayne that Spencer was giving the player special treatment.

The complaint alleges that In May 2025, after Spencer had a discussion with Bayne, the player was dismissed from the team and was not a member of the team as a senior.

Cal has not issued a response to the reports.

In August of 2025, Steve Sigleton was named Cal's new head softball coach. This past spring, the Bears played their home games in Sacramento and Saratoga, California, while renovations were made to the Cal softball venue. Cal finished the 2026 season with a 15-37 record.

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