Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into USA Fencing following the disqualification of female fencer Stephanie Turner, who refused to compete against a transgender opponent at a regional tournament in Maryland on March 30.
Paxton issued a “Civil Investigative Demand” to examine potential violations of Texas law, despite the incident occurring outside the state. According to Paxton’s statement, Turner was disqualified for “bravely taking a knee instead of competing against a biological male.”
“USA Fencing’s policies are not only potentially illegal, but also deeply insulting to young women like Stephanie Turner who have sacrificed so much and dedicated countless hours to compete and succeed in competitions,” Paxton stated. “I will fight to stop these unfair policies, and I will never back down from defending the integrity of women’s sports.”
Turner, 31, was scheduled to face Redmond Sullivan, a transgender woman, but declined the match, telling Sullivan, “I am sorry. I have a lot of love and respect for you, but I will not fence you.”
The Washington DC native who now lives in Maryland has since received recognition for her stance. XX-XY Athletics, which describes itself as “the only athletic brand that stands up for women’s sports,” awarded Turner with the Courage Wins Award, including a $5,000 prize and admission into a leadership program.
“By taking a knee, she became more powerful than any male. She stood her ground to fight for women’s sports,” said Jennifer Sey, founder of XX-XY Athletics, in a press release. “She’s a hero.”
USA Fencing responded with a statement clarifying that Turner’s disqualification was “not related to any personal statement,” but rather “the direct result of her decision to decline to fence an eligible opponent, which the FIE [International Fencing Federation] rules clearly prohibit.”
The organization defended its transgender inclusion policy, implemented 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.”
In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Turner expressed concerns about reaching out to USA Fencing given the pro-trans views of high-ranking officials within the governing body. “I was like, I don’t even want to reach out because if I do, then I won’t ever have a fair bout in my life,” she said.
“There are a lot of people who are for this [trans athletes in women’s sports] who are referees. I would lose favor within the sight of referees and I could end up with a biased bout. I could lose friends who I don’t know what their position is on this.”
Sullivan, who switched from Wagner College’s men’s team to its women’s squad last year, ultimately placed 24th out of 39 in the competition.
The controversy unfolds amid heightened national attention on transgender athletes in women’s sports following President Trump’s February executive order banning transgender women from competing in women’s competitions. “The radical left has waged an all-out campaign to erase the very concept of biological sex and replace it with a militant transgender ideology,” Trump said at the White House announcement. “With this executive order, the war on women’s sports is over.”
The order threatens to withhold federal funding from non-compliant schools, as evidenced by the University of Pennsylvania recently seeing $175 million in federal funding frozen. The funding pause appears connected to former Penn swimmer Lia Thomas, a transgender competitor who gained national attention when she tied with Kentucky’s Riley Gaines at the 2022 NCAA championships.
