Fencer Stephanie Turner Calls for Resignations After USA Fencing Chair Grilled at Hearing

Just six weeks after a controversial incident that saw women’s fencer Stephanie Turner disqualified and escorted from a tournament for kneeling in protest of a transgender opponent, she witnessed the man responsible for her punishment face intense scrutiny in a federal hearing. Damien Lehfeldt, Chair of USA Fencing, was subjected to rigorous questioning by Republican lawmakers during a session of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Subcommittees titled "Unfair Play: Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports" on Wednesday.

Following the hearing, Turner expressed her resolve to dedicate her platform to advocating for the resignations of key leadership figures within USA Fencing. Speaking to Fox News Digital, Turner stated, "I’m going to be pushing for people to resign, to be honest. I’d like to see some people resign for the comments that they’ve made, especially publicly, ones that are harassing and meant to humiliate concerned women, mothers, and daughters."

USA Fencing responded to Turner’s calls for leadership change with a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "We respect Ms. Turner’s right to share her views. The volunteer members of USA Fencing’s Board, elected by our membership, remain focused on serving athletes and meeting our obligations under the Ted Stevens Act and other governing-body rules. No leadership changes are under consideration," the statement read.

Lehfeldt’s appearance before the committee was not voluntary; he was subpoenaed to attend. His position was further complicated by a series of Instagram stories he posted prior to the hearing, which were subsequently highlighted and used against him during the proceedings. In one particularly contentious post, he responded to a question asking if he was "okay" with potentially putting female fencers at a disadvantage with a simple, yet inflammatory, "yeah."

During the hearing, Lehfeldt repeatedly acknowledged his regret over the response, admitting that the question warranted a more nuanced answer. Turner commented on Lehfeldt’s admission, stating, "He was under oath, but I was surprised that he admitted having written a fake response that he posted on his Instagram. So the simple admission that he knows what he’s doing, and the intimidation tactics that he’s been employing online, and he knows that they’re wrong, and he hadn’t redacted them until that point, it took a hearing, a subpoenaed hearing for him to do that, it was surprising."

USA Fencing addressed its chair’s social media activity in a statement to Fox News Digital on Wednesday, asserting that "Mr. Lehfeldt’s pre-hearing social posts were made in a personal capacity. Before and during the hearing, he clarified that the comments do not reflect USA Fencing policy and expressed regret for any confusion they caused."

The hearing was marked by heated exchanges, with Republican committee members directing insults and personal comments towards Lehfeldt. Representative Tim Burchett, R-Tenn, questioned Lehfeldt on whether he would allow his daughter to fence against "a man." Lehfeldt responded that he would be amenable to the situation, citing the organization’s safety protocols. "As long as the competitor has met all the hormonal requirements and complies with the policy, I would be okay with it," Lehfeldt stated.

Representative Nancy Mace, R-S.C., further intensified the confrontation, suggesting that Lehfeldt was "not a man" due to his organization’s gender eligibility policy. "Real men protect women, you’re not one," Mace declared. Mace also pressed Lehfeldt to issue an apology to Turner for her punishment, which he declined to do, pointing out that Turner had received a black card for her protest.

However, Turner has stated that an apology alone would not suffice. "I want more than an apology. I want a change in policy and I want people to start speaking the truth again. And an apology is just empty words without actions to me, so I don’t know how far it would go for me," Turner explained.

USA Fencing’s current trans-inclusion policy, enacted in 2023, allows transgender athletes to compete in the women’s category at both the junior and senior levels after undergoing one calendar year of testosterone-suppression treatment. Athletes must provide proof of compliant hormone therapy prior to competition. However, the organization has announced plans to modify its gender-eligibility policy in the wake of the controversy surrounding Turner.

According to a statement released by USA Fencing in late April, "In the event that USA Fencing is forced to change its current stance in accordance with oversight bodies or federal legislation, the new policy states athletes competing in USA Fencing-sanctioned tournaments must compete according to their biological sex." The proposed updated policy specifies that the women’s category "will be open exclusively to athletes of the female sex," while the men’s category "will be open to all other athletes who are otherwise eligible for competition."

Education Secretary Linda McMahon has announced that the newly formed Title IX investigations team will be examining the incident involving Turner and transgender competitor Redmond Sullivan.

In the aftermath of the controversy, Turner has taken a hiatus from fencing. "I don’t see how I can spend the money to go to a tournament and have there be multiple officials that I know who are deeply against me," Turner said. "That’s just not a fight that I want to be in the middle of right now, I’d rather take this fight elsewhere."

The situation remains fluid, with Turner continuing to advocate for policy changes and leadership accountability within USA Fencing, while the organization navigates the complex and evolving landscape of gender eligibility in sports. The outcome of the Title IX investigation and the potential implementation of a new gender-eligibility policy will likely have significant implications for the future of fencing and other sports organizations across the country. The larger debate about fairness, inclusion, and the rights of transgender athletes continues to be a central issue in the world of sports, and this case will likely serve as an important inflection point. The push and pull between established guidelines and the evolving societal understanding of gender identity will continue to shape the future of athletic competition. The controversy around Turner’s protest and the subsequent hearing underscore the deep divisions and passionate arguments surrounding these issues.