Republicans Attack USA Fencing For Disqualifying An Athlete Who Refused To Play A Trans Woman
Senator Ted Cruz and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are threatening USA Fencing after the organization supported its trans and nonbinary players.
A few weeks ago, at the Cherry Blossom Open tournament, fencer Stephanie Turner took a knee on the mat, refusing to compete against her transgender opponent, Redmond Sullivan. When Turner’s refusal to compete resulted in her disqualification, USA Fencing issued a statement, which explained that fencing is a safe space for trans and nonbinary players. Now, Senator Ted Cruz, the chairman of the US Senate’s committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are going after the organization.
Related: USA Fencer Disqualified For Refusing To Compete Against Trans Athlete
“USA Fencing enacted our current transgender and non-binary athlete policy in 2023. The policy was designed to expand access to the sport of fencing and create inclusive, safe spaces. The policy is based on the principle that everyone should have the ability to participate in sports and was based upon the research available of the day,” USA Fencing told Fox News Digital.
USA Fencing’s Director of Communication, Bryan Wendell, clarified that the decision to give Turner a black card, ultimately disqualifying her, was not due to her refusal to compete against a transgender woman, but was “the direct result of her decision to decline to fence an eligible opponent,” a violation of the International Fencing Federation (FIE) rules. He later doubled down on USA Fencing’s commitment to inclusivity.
Cruz, who has been openly against trans athletes in women’s sports, issued a letter on Monday to the USA Fencing CEO, Phil Andrew, threatening the NGB status of USA Fencing. He begins the letter stating, “It has come to my attention that USA Fencing is still permitting men to compete in women’s fencing in violation of federal law. I’m writing to ask why. Your organization is the recognized National Governing Body (NGB) for fencing in the United States, but to remain so it must comply with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee rules and procedures, its statutory obligations to protect women, and President Trump’s recent Executive Order on Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” He threatened, “If it does not, and instead continues to put women at risk, Congress may be forced to terminate USA Fencing’s NGB’s certification.”
Cruz addresses Turner’s decision to take a knee, claiming with transphobic rhetoric that she was “set to face a man,” noting that she “bravely took a knee and refused to compete against her male opponent.” He later added, “Male fencers naturally possess inherent advantages over potential female competitors. Men tend to be taller, have greater muscle mass, and more testosterone—all advantages for fencing movements like lunges, jumping, or leg power measures.”
In direct response to the USA Fencing’s statement on inclusivity, he stated, “USA Fencing’s commitment to ‘inclusivity’ is nothing less than full-throated support for males competing in women’s sports in violation of federal law. As the recognized NGB for fencing, USA Fencing is required to provide ‘support and encouragement for participation by women where separate programs for male and female athletes are conducted on a national basis’ as well as a ‘safe environment in sports.’ Failure to do so is grounds for the United States Congress to terminate USA Fencing’s certification as a NGB.” USA Fencing must respond to the questions posed by the letter no later than April 21st to remain in good standing as a NGB.
On Tuesday, Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton, announced an investigation into USA Fencing for violating state law. The investigation comes after Paxton issued a Civil Investigative Demand (“CID”), which will uncover documents related to USA Fencing in efforts to find “false, deceptive, and misleading acts and practices.”
“USA Fencing is on the wrong side of history and potentially the wrong side of the law due to violations of Texas consumer protection laws,” Paxton said. “USA Fencing’s policies are not only potentially illegal, but also deeply insulting to the young women like Stephanie Turner who have sacrificed so much and dedicated countless hours to compete and succeed in competitions. I will fight to stop these unfair policies, and I will never back down from defending the integrity of women’s sports.”
The Trump administration has announced it will put together a new “Title IX Special Investigations Team” (SIT) to root out transgender athletes, bar them from sports teams, as well as prohibit transgender women and girls from women’s bathrooms. In a press release issued by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice on April 4, the SIT is stated to “ensure timely, consistent resolutions to protect students, and especially female athletes, from the pernicious effects of gender ideology in school programs and activities.”
