A Title IX lawsuit filed by a former U.S. Olympian against USA Fencing regarding alleged transgender athletes competing in a women’s event in the past has been dismissed by a federal judge.
Fernando J. Gaitan Jr., a Missouri District Judge who was appointed in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush, issued a dismissal without prejudice for the lawsuit that was brought on by ex-U.S. Olympic fencer Margherita Guzzi Vincenti. She filed the lawsuit in October and it claimed that alleged biological males were permitted to participate in January during the 2025 North American Cup’s women’s and girls’ events that took place in Kansas City, Missouri.
“USA Fencing and the individual defendants named in the lawsuit have always been deeply committed to providing resources and opportunities to fencers throughout the country. We are grateful for Judge Gaitan’s order granting the defendants’ motion to dismiss in favor of USA Fencing and the individual defendants,” said USA Fencing to Fox News Digital in a statement. (RELATED: Washington Nationals Executive Admits He Discriminates Against Christian Players, Tracks Fans, Has Communist Agenda)
Fellow women’s fencers Patricia Hughes and Emma Griffin joined Vincenti in the lawsuit. The lawsuit originally claimed that USA Fencing was aware that they allowed transgender athletes to participate in female divisions despite allegedly holding the competitions as women-only. It’s also claimed that under-18 girls’ events featured biological males.
“We discovered that transgenders are present at our events, and this is not putting females at an equal playing field,” said Vincenti while speaking with Fox News Digital in the past.
“USA Fencing does not disclose the exact amount of transgenders in our sports. So we’re really left in the dark. We don’t know, when we step on the strip, who we are going to fence. So it could be a fencer named Mary Wilson, and then we just discover at the very moment, when you step on the strip and you’re about to start your match, that Mary Wilson is not a woman.”
Fencing is coming to schools nationwide.
Introducing En Garde! Fencing — free for schools, no experience required, foam foils included. Elementary level is live now.https://t.co/fRkZrx16Nx
— USA Fencing (@USAFencing) April 10, 2026
With that being said, it was ruled by the court that the plaintiffs didn’t state a Title IX claim that was valid due to not sufficiently alleging that they weren’t allowed to compete, rejected any benefits, received negative treatment based on gender, or took part in competition against biological males.
“Plaintiffs have failed to allege that they were excluded from or denied the benefits of the competition because of their gender. Plaintiffs have not even alleged facts supporting that they competed against transgender athletes. Plaintiffs have not pled that they were treated adversely because of their gender,” the decision from the judge read, per Fox News Digital.
“Plaintiffs allege that they were treated differently because of their gender but have not alleged from whom they were treated differently or in what way. Plaintiffs have failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.”
A spotlight was put on USA Fencing for their prior policies that allowed transgender athletes to participate in female competition in April, which followed women’s fencer Stephanie Turner going viral after she knelt to protest a transgender opponent during a Maryland event.
The previous policies from USA Fencing were changed in July 2025 to just permit females to participate in competitions for women, doing so in compliance with the new policies on safety eligibility from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). The policies of USOPC were updated to comply with the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order that was signed by President Donald Trump, which also occurred last July.