Lawsuit Claims Former Cal Softball Coach Chelsea Spencer Targeted Player “Almost Immediately”

More details are emerging about an alleged inappropriate sexual relationship between former Cal head softball coach Chelsea Spencer and a former player.

The player, identified in court documents as Jane Doe R.O., claims that Spencer pursued an illicit sexual relationship, cut the student’s playing time and threatened to kill herself when the student broke up with her, according to a lawsuit filed on Aug. 24 in Alameda County.

Jane Doe is also suing Spencer and the University of California’s regents, claiming the school’s leaders were negligent in hiring, training and supervising its staff.

Berkeleyside was the first to report on the lawsuit.

A former Cal softball player has filed a lawsuit against UC Berkeley and former head coach Chelsea Spencer.

The lawsuit alleges a relationship marked by a significant power imbalance and retaliation after she attempted to end it.

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— Maren Angus (@Maren_Angus) September 1, 2026

Jane Doe claims that Spencer targeted her "almost immediately" after she arrived at Cal in 2023. She also alleges that Spencer texted or sent Instagram messages to her “every day,” about “intensely personal” subjects like Spencer’s marriage and emotional struggles.

Spencer was married to former Cal assistant coach Kailee Cuico at the time.

Cuico was a student-athlete on the Oregon softball team from 2011-14 before joining the staff as team manager in 2015 and a volunteer assistant in 2016.

Spencer joined the Ducks' coaching staff in 2013, working under head coach Mike White and eventually followed him to Texas with Cuico in 2019. Both coaches left Texas after the 2020 COVID-shortened season.

The lawsuit also alleges that Spencer's private messages to the player became romantic quickly and spoiled the student-athlete with gifts, including direct payment of nearly $450 and AirPods worth another $400.

A former Cal softball player has sued the school and former head coach Chelsea Spencer, alleging Spencer coerced her into a sexual relationship and retaliated against her when she tried to end it.

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— Softball OnSI (@SoftballOnSI) September 1, 2026

“The sexual contact was mutual in physical form, but occurred within the coach-athlete relationship SPENCER had cultivated and the pattern of rewards and consequences Plaintiff had already experienced,” the lawsuit said.

The filing claims that Jane Doe and Spencer had sex multiple times, beginning in May 2024 through the 2025 season.

The relationship was well-known by May 2025, according to court documents. An associate head coach and a pitching coach knew of a relationship between Spencer and the pitcher by December 2023. By February 2025, a different pitching coach and Cuico also knew of the relationship.

Jane Doe was "removed" from the team in May 2025 after a conversation between associate athletics director Gordon Bayne and Spencer. The pitcher did not play in 2026.

“These reports were consistent with what members of the softball program had already been observing and reporting: professional boundaries between coaches and student-athletes had materially broken down, concerns regarding favoritism and inappropriate relationships were circulating within the program, and Plaintiff’s relationship with SPENCER warranted intervention,” the lawsuit said.

Spencer signed a contract extension in February 2025 and resigned on June 23, 2025, saying she needed to “prioritize my mental health and my family." She led the Bears to three straight NCAA Tournaments (2023-25) after the program missed the previous five.

Hey Coach! 👋

How soon can you start??? 🐻🥎💙💛#GoBears #CalFamily #WelcomeHomeChelsea pic.twitter.com/GQ2QzdEIA9
— Cal Softball (@CalSB) May 21, 2020

2023 Cal Softball Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Chelsea Spencer
Assistant Coach (Hitting): Becca Mueller
Assistant Coach (Pitching): Amber Freeman
Volunteer Assistant Coach: Kailee Cuico

Pitching coach Amber Freeman left Cal after the 2023 season for Georgia, where she spent the 2024 season. In 2025, she joined the Arizona coaching staf for two seasons.

Freeman was hired by White at Texas in June 2026 and will work with the offense, catchers and defense.

Becca Mueller joined the staff at UCF as an assistant coach and the program’s recruiting coordinator ahead of the spring 2024 season.

2024 Cal Softball Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Chelsea Spencer
Assistant Coach: Kailee Cuico
Assistant Coach (Pitching): Danielle O'Toole-Tejo
Assistant Coach: Brandon Telesco
Director of Player Development: Marisa Stankiewicz Telesco

Danielle O'Toole-Tejo spent one season at Cal before joining the Stanford staff ahead of the 2025 season.

2025 Cal Softball Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Chelsea Spencer
Associate Head Coach: Brandon Telesco
Assistant Coach (Pitching): Jen Deering
Assistant Coach: Kailee Cuico
Director of Player Development: Marisa Stankiewicz Telesco

Jen Deering was named the interim head coach when Spencer stepped down but was not brought back in 2026.

Brandon Telesco moved on to become a head coach and was hired by Cal Baptist after the 2025 season. His wife, Marisa Stankiewicz Telesco, also left Cal.

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