USA Fencing responds to federal investigation over transgender competitor incident

USA Fencing has acknowledged a forthcoming federal investigation into an incident that occurred astatine 1 of its events wherever a women’s fencer was punished for refusing to look a transgender competitor.

The investigation, which will beryllium carried retired by nan newly-formed Title IX investigations team in conjunction pinch nan US Department of Education and Department of Justice, was announced connected Friday by Education Secretary Linda McMahon. 

The incident, which occurred astatine nan Cherry Blossom Open successful Maryland connected March 30, saw female fencer Stephanie Turner return a knee successful protestation of trans competitor Redmond Sullivan.

Turner was past disqualified from nan arena and escorted retired of nan venue.

USA Fencing provided a connection to Fox News Digital saying it will cooperate pinch nan investigation. 

“USA Fencing will respond and cooperate to immoderate enquiry arsenic required by law,” nan connection read.

The incident involving Turner quickly drew nationalist attraction aft a video of her taking a knee to protestation Sullivan went viral.

The footage ignited wide consciousness and backlash against USA Fencing’s gender eligibility policies. 

Turner told Fox News Digital that she came to nan determination to return nan knee nan nighttime earlier nan event, erstwhile she checked nan title pools and saw that she would beryllium competing against Sullivan.

“I saw that I was going to beryllium successful a excavation pinch Redmond, and from location I said, ‘OK, let’s do it. I’m going to return nan knee,'” Turner said. “I knew what I had to do because USA Fencing had not been listening to women’s objections regarding [its gender eligibility policy].”

USA Fencing first enacted its existent trans-inclusion argumentation successful 2023.

It allows transgender athletes to compete successful nan women’s class astatine some nan inferior and elder level aft completing one calendar twelvemonth of testosterone suppression treatment.

Proof of compliant hormone therapy must beryllium provided anterior to competition, but nan statement has taken moreover further steps to prioritize its trans competitors. 

In November 2022, it announced a policy to springiness penchant erstwhile selecting big cities for nationalist tournaments to states without laws that “harm members of LGBTQ communities” and states that do not “have laws undermining nan reproductive wellness of women.”

That argumentation went into effect successful nan 2023 season, nan aforesaid twelvemonth it changed its gender policy. It later released a list of states that it intended to “avoid wherever possible” and nan states that it level retired would not let hosting awesome events.

This past December, a nonprofit fencing organization, nan Fair Fencing Organization, penned an unfastened missive to USA Fencing Board Members urging nan re-evaluation of its stance connected respective issues, including transgender inclusion.

Just days later, however, board members voted against several motions to o.k. an all-female task unit to re-evaluate and revise nan existent transgender policy, successful an 8-3 vote. 

Now, aft siding against women fencers seeking protection from trans inclusion, USA Fencing faces imaginable national sanctions.

This Title IX investigation will beryllium 1 of nan first missions for nan recently formed Title IX investigations team, which was officially formed past week.

The inaugural was announced past Friday pinch nan ngo to “protect female athletes, from nan pernicious effects of gender ideology successful schoolhouse programs and activities.”