DOGE Subcommittee Chair Greene Announces Hearing on USA Fencing Allowing Biological Men to Participate in Women’s Events

WASHINGTON—Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) Chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) today invited Stephanie Turner, the fencer who refused to compete against a biological male, and Board Chair of USA Fencing, Damien Lehfeldt, to testify at a hearing scheduled for May 7, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. ET. 

Recently, Turner was scheduled to compete against a biological male at a USA Fencing tournament in Maryland but took a knee in protest. She was subsequently excluded from the competition and suspended for the remainder of the event. After the event, USA Fencing stated publicly it is “committed to inclusivity.” Additionally, USA Fencing Board Chair, Damien Lehfeldt, has a history of supporting the inclusion of biological men in women’s sports, even though he acknowledges that they may have a physical advantage. 

“Women’s sports are for women only. Radical leftists pushing to let biological men compete against women are destroying fair competition and putting female athletes in physical danger. Stephanie Turner had the courage to call out this insanity, and she’s a hero to women across America. USA Fencing must be held accountable for demeaning women and denying them of the chance to succeed in their own sport. It is out of compliance with President Trump’s executive order and it should not be recognized as the National Governing Body for fencing if it continues to defy the law,” said Subcommittee Chairwoman Greene.

USA Fencing is the recognized National Governing Body for fencing in the United States. It is required to comply with United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee rules and procedures and its statutory obligations to protect women under Title IX. Additionally, USA Fencing is required to comply with President Trump’s Executive Order on Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports. Recently, Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced the Title IX investigations team will investigate the USA Fencing incident. 

Read the witness invitations here: