US Olympian and other fencers file class-action lawsuit against USA Fencing for alleged trans athlete incident

Competitive fencer Stephanie Turner discusses the U.S. Olympic Committee’s decision to bar transgender women from women’s sports on ‘America’s Newsroom.’

FIRST ON FOX: U.S. Olympic fencer Margherita Guzzi Vincenti, alongside fellow competitive women's fencers Emma Griffin and Patricia Hughes, have filed a class-action lawsuit against USA Fencing over an alleged incident at the 2025 North American Cup (NAC) in Kansas City, Missouri, in January. 

Vincenti, Griffin and Hughes alleged USA Fencing knowingly permitted biological males to compete in women’s divisions while advertising events as female-only, including in competitions involving athletes under the age of 18.

"Because Defendant USFA’s youth and cadet policy authorized self-identification ‘without restriction’ and lacked any verification mechanism, biological males under 16 were permitted, and could have been expected, to compete in the women’s event," the lawsuit alleged. 

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Margherita Guzzi Vincenti poses for a portrait during team USA Fencing media day at New York Athletic Club on May 21, 2024 in New York City.  (Al Bello/Getty Images)

"Defendant USFA also does not disclose to members or participants whether transgender or non-binary athletes are entered in a given event, leaving female athletes and parents unable to make informed participation decisions."

The lawsuit also alleged the organization did not enforce its own previous policy of only allowing males to compete in the women's category after completing one year of testosterone-suppression treatment. 

"On information and belief, Defendant USFA never implemented any system to monitor or verify compliance with this requirement. In practice, this lack of