(WASHINGTON) — A female fencer was disqualified from a competition for refusing to compete against a transgender opponent, USA Fencing said in a statement to ABC News on Thursday.
The incident occurred last month at a USA Fencing-sanctioned regional tournament where fencer Stephanie Turner decided to remove her mask and take a knee instead of competing against Redmond Sullivan, a transgender woman.
Following the act of protest, the referee of the University of Maryland match — which was not an NCAA tournament — issued a black card to Turner, removing her from the competition.
USA Fencing’s current transgender and non-binary athlete policy was enacted in 2023 and allows athletes to participate in sanctioned events “in a manner consistent with their gender identity/ expression, regardless of the gender associated with the sex they were assigned at birth.”
USA Fencing told ABC News on Thursday that the decision to disqualify Turner from the tournament was “not related to any personal statement” but because she refused to fence an “eligible opponent.”
Sullivan transferred to the Wagner College women’s fencing team from the men’s team in 2024.
“We understand that the conversation on equity and inclusion pertaining to transgender participation in sport is evolving,” USA Fencing said in a statement, adding that the organization “will always err on the side of inclusion, and we’re committed to amending the policy as more relevant evidence-based research emerges, or as policy changes take effect in the wider Olympic & Paralympic movement.”
In a statement to ABC News on Thursday, Turner detailed the moment she took a knee and decided not to compete against Sullivan.
“As a woman fencing in a women’s tournament, I do not believe men should fence in my category. I was not aware Mr. Sullivan was registered until the night before the tournament. I prayed about it and decided if Mr. Sullivan and I were to fence face-to-face, then I would peaceably protest by taking a knee,” Turner said, misgendering Sullivan.
Turner said she has previously refused to fence in tournaments in which she knew a transgender athlete was going to compete, including the 2023 Summer Nationals.
“I want to thank God for trusting me with this mission to fight for female-exclusive sports and putting me in a place to effectively protest,” Turner added.
ABC News has reached out to Redmond Sullivan for a comment. The University of Maryland declined to comment on the incident.
The incident between Turner and Sullivan comes amid a wider debate surrounding transgender athletes in women’s and girls’ sports.
In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports, fulfilling a promise that was at the center of his 2024 campaign.
Titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” the order mandates immediate enforcement, including against schools and athletic associations that “deny women single-sex sports and single-sex locker rooms,” according to the document, and directs state attorneys general to identify best practices for enforcing the mandate.
Opponents of the federal order said at the time that Trump’s action would lead to increased discrimination and harassment.
“This order could expose young people to harassment and discrimination, emboldening people to question the gender of kids who don’t fit a narrow view of how they’re supposed to dress or look,” Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said in a statement at the time. “Participating in sports is about learning the values of teamwork, dedication, and perseverance. And for so many students, sports are about finding somewhere to belong. We should want that for all kids — not partisan policies that make life harder for them.”
Proponents say, however, Trump’s federal direction brings clarity at the federal level.
“We’re a national governing body and we follow federal law,” NCAA President Charlie Baker told Republican senators at a hearing in December. “Clarity on this issue at the federal level would be very helpful.”
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