Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against USA Fencing

U.S. Olympic fencer Margherita Guzzi Vincenti, along with fellow fencers Emma Griffin and Patricia Hughes, has initiated a class action lawsuit against USA Fencing. The lawsuit challenges the organization’s decision to permit men to compete in women’s categories, despite proclaiming these events as “women only.”

This legal action stems from an incident that allegedly occurred during the 2025 North American Cup in January in Kansas City, Missouri, involving athletes under 18, as first reported.

The complaint states that USA Fencing’s policies allowed for unrestricted self-identification, which meant that biological males under 16 could potentially compete in women’s events. It raises concerns about the lack of verification mechanisms in place.

Moreover, the lawsuit asserts that USA Fencing does not inform its members whether transgender or non-binary athletes will participate in specific competitions, which prevents female athletes and their families from making informed decisions regarding their involvement.

Another point in the complaint claims that USA Fencing has not properly enforced its own policy concerning transgender athletes. According to this policy, men identifying as transgender could only participate in women’s events if they had been on testosterone suppressants for a year.

In response to the allegations, USA Fencing acknowledged the lawsuit but strongly disagreed with its claims, stating it would handle the issue through the appropriate legal channels.

Guzzi, who represented Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, explained her motivation for joining the suit was to advocate for fairness in women’s sports. She remarked, “Fencing has been my life since childhood. I’ve always trained with the expectation that women’s competitions are exclusively for women, which truly is about equality and ensuring opportunities for girls and women who commit themselves to fair competition.”

The lawsuit further argues that USA Fencing’s actions violate Title IX by allowing men to compete in categories designated for women. It also highlights that the organization had described itself as an educational services provider in applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) assistance during the pandemic.

The lawsuit mentions that the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) receives direct federal funding through various sources, including PPP loans that have been forgiven, along with allocations from the Department of Veterans Affairs and taxpayer funding.

Former president of the United States Fencing Board, Damian Lehfeldt, is also named as a defendant, but he did not respond to requests for comment. Lehfeldt, who chose not to seek re-election, cited reasons such as “lawsuits” and “death threats” for his decision.

Since April, female fencer Stephanie Turner has been under fire after being disqualified for kneeling in protest during a match against a transgender male fencer.

Following the controversy surrounding Turner, Lehfeldt was subjected to a federal subpoena and had to explain the organization’s stance on transgender athletes during a congressional hearing. This led to legal challenges from former Olympic coach Andrei Geva and former Olympic fencer Abdel, who accused him of making false statements during his testimony.

In light of the public scrutiny, USA Fencing updated its transgender policy in July, stipulating that only women can compete in women’s categories. This decision was reportedly made to align with the USOPC’s new Athlete Safety Policy, which references an executive order from former President Donald Trump prohibiting men from being part of women’s sports teams.