A woman who refused to compete against a transgender opponent was expelled from the tournament by USA Fencing, the national governing body for the sport.
Stephanie Turner took a knee in protest rather than face Redmond Sullivan, a biological male who competes in the women’s division, at the Cherry Blossom, a competition held last weekend at the University of Maryland.
Turner, who competes for the Fencing Academy of Philadelphia, had already finished four matches when she saw that she had drawn Sullivan in the next round.
“I knew what I had to do because USA Fencing had not been listening to women’s objections,” she told Fox Digital News.
She dropped to one knee and took off her mask, as shown in a video posted by the Independent Council on Women’s Sports.
“I took a knee immediately at that point,” Turner said. “Redmond was under the impression that I was going to start fencing. So when I took the knee, I looked at the ref and I said, ’I’m sorry, I cannot do this. I am a woman, and this is a man, and this is a women’s tournament. And I will not fence this individual.’”
The referee gave Turner a black card, a serious penalty used for unsportsmanlike conduct and other offenses, meaning that she was expelled from the tournament.
Shortly after she took a knee, Turner said Sullivan approached her and asked if she was okay. When she explained that she would not fence against a man, Sullivan cited USA Fencing’s transgender policy.
“Redmond says to me, ’Well you know, there is a member on the board of directors here who supports me, and there is a policy that acknowledges me as a woman, so I am allowed to fence, and you will get black-carded,’ and I said, ’I know,’” Turner said.
🤺🚨Historic Protest: Female Fencer Takes a Knee in Bout Against Male Opponent, Faces Immediate Disqualification
— ICONS (@icons_women) April 2, 2025
After receiving a black card for refusing to compete against a man, Redmond Sullivan’s female opponent was expelled from the @USAFencing event at the Univ. of… pic.twitter.com/IloSnrb2Iu
Sullivan, who was listed on the tournament roster as fencing for Wagner College and the Iconic Fencing Club, placed 24th out of 39 athletes in the Division 1-A Women’s Foil at the Cherry Blossom, but has won two women’s gold medals in the 2024-25 season, according to Fencing Tracker.
A college spokesperson said Wednesday that Sullivan is not participating on the women’s fencing team.
“We are in full compliance with NCAA and NEC rules and regulations,” said Jim Chiavelli, Wagner vice president for communications, in an email. “The fencer is not a member of our fencing team.”
Sullivan joined the Wagner’s women’s varsity fencing team last year after competing in men’s fencing from 2022 to 2023.
USA Fencing requires male athletes who identify as female to undergo a year of testosterone suppression before competing in women’s fencing.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, New York Republican, said that the Staten Island college has complied with President Trump’s Feb. 5 executive order, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”
“This individual who participated in the Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland does not represent Wagner College and has not played on the school’s fencing team since last year,” she said in a statement. “The college is in compliance with President Trump’s Executive Order protecting women in sports and all leagues and tournaments should comply as well.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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