Melissa Batie-Smoose & Vernadette Broyles on Courage, Consequences, & the Future of Title IX Artwork

Freedom to Learn

Season 2 of the Freedom to Learn podcast makes the urgent case for returning education to states, communities, and families. In Washington, President Trump is challenging partisan teacher unions and federal bureaucrats by enacting a new K–12 scholarship tax credit, restructuring the Department of Education, and rooting out civil rights violations in schools. Each week, host Ginny Gentles speaks with policymakers and advocates about bold reforms that improve academic performance and shift power closer to students. Every episode examines what becomes possible when education is freed from union dominance and federal control. Produced by the Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC.

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Freedom to Learn

Melissa Batie-Smoose & Vernadette Broyles on Courage, Consequences, & the Future of Title IX

January 22, 2026 • Ginny Gentles • Season 2 • Episode 18

When Melissa Batie-Smoose took a stand to protect the women she coached, she lost her job and her coaching career. In this episode we sit down with Melissa, former associate head women’s volleyball coach at San Jose State University, and Vernadette Broyles, Melissa’s attorney, for a conversation about courage, conscience, and the future of women’s sports. As the U.S. Supreme Court considers landmark cases that could redefine sex-based protections in athletics, Melissa’s story puts a human face on what’s at stake. Melissa shares what it means to speak up and take legal action when institutions–and her fellow coaches–stay silent.

We also look ahead to the legal and policy battles still to come, including why efforts like DFI’s RESPECT Title IX Act model legislation matter for restoring clarity, fairness, and safety.

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