Kaien J-Spencer joined Stanford University’s men’s gymnastics team in 2022 with big dreams of making his mark in college gymnastics. And he did that by becoming part of two NCAA team championship-winning seasons under longtime coach Thom Glielmi. But behind these achievements, J-Spencer alleges that his years at Stanford were marked by repeated humiliation and emotional distress, eventually pushing him to leave the program. And now, that dispute has escalated into a lawsuit.

On October 21, 2026, the Palo Alto Daily Post reported that J-Spencer had filed a complaint against Stanford in Santa Clara County Superior Court, accusing the university of breaching its student-athlete handbook and inflicting emotional distress. The lawsuit alleges that Glielmi repeatedly degraded him throughout his three years with the program and restricted his opportunities to participate in competitions.

J-Spencer claims the treatment contributed to a mental health crisis and ultimately led him to transfer to the University of California, Berkeley. According to the lawsuit, the problems began during J-Spencer’s freshman year in 2022, when Glielmi allegedly told him there was an 80% chance he would be cut from the team and would not be recruited by another top program.

The complaint also describes an incident in which J-Spencer performed well at a team competition and asked to be considered for an upcoming lineup. Glielmi allegedly rejected the request, saying the gymnast “fing annoyed the s” out of him. The lawsuit further claims that Glielmi made personal remarks about J-Spencer, questioning whether he had friends, whether those friends actually liked him, and whether they truly knew him. In another alleged comment, the coach reportedly described the gymnast as “a waste of medical and athlete-dining resources.”

These allegations form part of J-Spencer’s claim that the treatment went beyond decisions about athletic performance and became a source of emotional harm. Tensions reportedly escalated in August 2024, when Stanford removed J-Spencer from the team. According to the complaint, he was reinstated only after his mother intervened.

Despite the alleged difficulties, J-Spencer had a successful junior season. On March 1, 2025, he scored 13.800 on floor exercise against Penn State, winning the event. He also competed on floor at the NCAA Championships that April, adding to his record during his time at Stanford. J-Spencer alleges that he reported Glielmi to Stanford’s human resources department in May 2025.

The lawsuit claims the coach responded by discouraging assistant coaches from spotting him during practice, potentially affecting the support he received while training. The situation reportedly reached a turning point when Glielmi barred J-Spencer from participating in team competitions during his senior year. Rather than remain in a program where he said he could no longer compete, J-Spencer transferred to UC Berkeley.

His lawsuit now seeks to hold Stanford accountable for what he describes as violations of its student-athlete handbook and the emotional distress he says he suffered. Glielmi, who has coached Stanford for 25 years and won eight national championships, did not respond to a request for comment cited in the Palo Alto Daily Post report. But before the lawsuit, J-Spencer had spent years working toward a successful career in gymnastics.

J-Spencer’s achievements at Stanford

Kaien J-Spencer began building his gymnastics career at Gymnastics Olympica, where he helped his club team win national titles in 2018, 2019, and 2021. After graduating in 2022, he joined Stanford University’s men’s gymnastics team in the fall. His first year was part of a successful period for Stanford, as the team won both the NCAA and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) championships in 2023. J-Spencer was credited as an NCAA team champion, although he did not compete in a scoring event that season.

J-Spencer made his collegiate competition debut at the Cal Benefit Cup on January 13, 2024, and continued to build experience during his sophomore year. He competed in seven events that season, recording a 12.700 on pommel horse against California on February 3 and scoring 13.650 on vault against Team USA on February 10.

Stanford went on to win its second consecutive NCAA team title in 2024, and J-Spencer was part of the championship-winning squad. His academic achievements also earned him a place on the MPSF All-Academic Team, the Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll and the College Gymnastics Association’s Second Team All-America Scholar-Athlete list.

His junior season in 2025 brought further individual success.  On March 1, J-Spencer earned the first event title of his collegiate career with a floor exercise score of 13.800 against Penn State. A week later, at the Stanford International Collegiate on March 8, he set career highs of 14.150 on floor exercise and 14.250 on pommel horse. He appeared in nine events during the season and competed on floor at the NCAA Championships on April 19. He was also named a College Gymnastics Association First Team All-America Scholar-Athlete and again earned MPSF All-Academic Team recognition.

Stanford finished as the NCAA runner-up in 2025, narrowly missing a sixth consecutive national title. These results marked a significant period of progress in J-Spencer’s college gymnastics career. Despite his competitive progress and academic recognition, J-Spencer’s time at Stanford ultimately ended with a dispute that led him to pursue legal action against the university.