Federal Judge Dismisses Title IX Lawsuit Against USA Fencing

A federal judge has dismissed a Title IX lawsuit initiated by a former U.S. Olympic athlete against USA Fencing. The case revolved around claims concerning transgender athletes participating in women’s events.

Judge Fernando J. Gaitan Jr., from Missouri and appointed in 1991, threw out the suit filed by Margherita Guzzi Vincenti, a former Olympic fencer. She had claimed that a biological male participated in the women’s events at the 2025 North American Cup in Kansas City, Missouri, last January.

USA Fencing expressed appreciation for the ruling, stating, “We are committed to providing resources and opportunities to fencers across the country. We value Judge Gaitan’s dismissal of the defendants in favor of USA Fencing and each of the defendants.”

Other female fencers, Patricia Hughes and Emma Griffin, joined Vincenti in this lawsuit, which suggested that USA Fencing knew transgender athletes were allowed to compete in what was purportedly a women’s-only tournament. It was also argued that biological males participated in events for girls under 18.

Vincenti stated in an interview, “We’re observing transgender individuals in our events, and it feels like it disrupts a fair playing field for women.” She further noted concerns about the lack of transparency: “USA Fencing hasn’t shared how many transgender individuals are in our sport, leaving us uncertain about who we might face. It could be someone like Mary Wilson, but we could discover, just before starting a match, that Mary Wilson may not be who we thought.”

However, the court found that the plaintiffs had not sufficiently established a valid Title IX claim. They hadn’t shown that they were prevented from competing or denied benefits based on gender discrimination, nor had they indicated that they competed against biological males.

The judge remarked, “Plaintiffs do not allege that they faced exclusion from competition or were treated unfairly because of their gender. They fail to demonstrate how they were discriminated against or by whom.”

This lawsuit drew attention to USA Fencing’s policies, especially following female fencer Stephanie Turner’s viral protest by kneeling during a match against a transgender opponent in Maryland. By July 2025, USA Fencing altered its policy to only permit women in competitions, aligned with new safety guidelines set by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC). This amendment followed an executive order issued by former President Donald Trump last July, which aimed to restrict male participation in women’s sports.