BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — An alleged incident of domestic violence between Bakersfield College students earlier this year is raising questions about how college officials handled the situation.
What started as a dominant home win for the Bakersfield College’s Men’s Basketball Team on Dec. 20, 2025, was followed by an off-the-court incident that later put a player and the college under intense scrutiny.
According to a DV-100 form filed in court, a document used to request a domestic violence restraining order, Gustavo Chavez, a guard for the Bakersfield College Renegades, was involved in a physical altercation with his then-girlfriend after a party that night. The document says the woman reported suffering bruises because of it.
Document obtained by Eyewitness News Investigates shows a request for domestic violence restraining order against Chavez.
Eyewitness News is not naming the woman because she says she is a victim of domestic violence.
Chavez declined to go on camera, but said he strongly disputes the woman’s claims of what happened that night.
Pictured is Gustavo Chavez, a former Bakerfield College basketball player, who is accused in a domestic violence incident from December 2025. (Renegade Athletics)
The woman later sought a long-term domestic violence restraining order, which a Kern County judge granted in April 2026. It remains in effect until April of 2028.
In the months between the December incident and the April ruling, the woman said Bakersfield College officials left her feeling unsafe because she and Chavez were both student-athletes at the college, meaning they could often be in the same places at the same time.
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In a statement sent to Eyewitness News, the woman says she provided evidence of the restraining order process to campus officials, who assured her they would act on it. She believes they didn’t follow through on their promises.
“I feel like the college administration gave me false hope that they would support and help protect me once I had a temporary restraining order in hand,” the woman said. “They also did not suspend or remove Mr. Chavez from the basketball team, even though our locker rooms are right next to each other in the gym.”
Chavez continued playing for the Renegades for several more weeks, including a game against Citrus College about a month after the December 2025 altercation. He eventually stopped playing for Bakersfield College in February.
Highlighted is Gustavo Chavez, playing in a game against Citrus College on January 21, 2026, a month after the alleged December 2025 domestic violence altercation. (Hudl)
On Feb. 13, Chavez was arrested for DUI. As of September, that case is still open and a hearing is set for Oct. 16.
An interview request with Bakersfield College President Stacy Pfluger to respond to the woman’s claims and gather more information on how the campus responded was declined. It’s unclear how involved Pfluger, the interim president at the time of the incident, was in handling the situation.
In an emailed statement, college officials said, “Generally, the College’s authority over alleged student conduct occurring off campus is limited. When appropriate, however, the College may provide supportive measures intended to maintain a safe and appropriate campus environment, including mutual no-contact directives.”
Email response from Bakersfield College to Eyewitness News anchor Michael Patterson regarding an interview request about the allegations against Chavez. (KBAK/KBFX)
In emails obtained by Eyewitness News via a public records request, college officials discussed Chavez’s situation, including whether his athletic profile should remain publicly visible on the college website.
In an email from Head Coach Greg McCall to the vice president of student services on Feb. 14, the day after Chavez’s arrest, McCall said Chavez would no longer be on the team.
“This decision was made because of Gustavo’s ongoing problems that has [sic] occurred within the college and the men’s basketball program,” McCall said in the email.
Email from Bakersfield College Men’s Basketball head coach Greg McCall to B.C.’s Vice President of Student Services on February 14, 2026, explaining that Chavez would no longer be on the team.
Then, in March, then-Interim Athletic Director Ayanna Tweedy sent an email asking that Chavez’s profile be hidden from the roster webpage. Chavez’s name is not listed on the 2025-26 team roster, but a direct link to his Bakersfield College player statistics was still available.
Max Gradowitz, director of litigation for Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, spoke generally about restraining orders and a college’s responsibilities with Eyewitness News. While he did not work on this case, another attorney in the organization did. He said law enforcement, not school staff, is responsible for enforcing a restraining order, but that colleges still have reasons to take steps to protect students and employees.
“They’re not ordered to [enforce it] as part of the restraining order, but it’s certainly in their best interest to do so to avoid lawsuits,” Gradowitz said. “You want to keep your students safe, your employees safe. You should take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of their employees and students.”
Gradowitz also urged people in similar situations to share restraining orders with institutions quickly.
“If you have a restraining order, give it to your employer, give it to your school, especially in a situation where the other party attends that same place,” he said.
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It appears both the woman and Chavez no longer attend Bakersfield College, but the woman said she hopes her experience leads to change.
An alleged incident of domestic violence between Bakersfield College students earlier this year is raising questions about how college officials handled the situation.
“None of this is about retribution or punishing anyone; I just want to heal and feel safe. I hope that your story raises awareness in the community so that the next person who reports student-student domestic violence to Bakersfield College receives a much different reception than the one I’ve gotten,” she wrote.