Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into USA Fencing on Tuesday following fencer Stephanie Turner’s protest against competing with a transgender athlete.
Turner’s decision to take a knee, receive a black card and ultimately be expelled from an event earlier this month put USA Fencing’s transgender-athlete policy into the spotlight. Paxton said in a statement officials were looking into whether the organization broke Texas state law.
Paxton’s probe will look to “uncover documents related to USA Fencing potentially engaging in false, deceptive, and misleading acts and practices,” according to a news release.
“USA Fencing is on the wrong side of history and potentially the wrong side of the law due to violations of Texas consumer protection laws,” Paxton said in a statement. “USA Fencing’s policies are not only potentially illegal, but also deeply insulting to the young women like Stephanie Turner who have sacrificed so much and dedicated countless hours to compete and succeed in competitions.
“I will fight to stop these unfair policies, and I will never back down from defending the integrity of women’s sports.”
Fox News Digital reached out to USA Fencing for comment.
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Turner refused to compete against trans competitor Redmond Sullivan at the Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland. Turner received a black card for her decision to take a knee, leading to her expulsion from the tournament for serious infractions or unsportsmanlike behavior.
“I knew what I had to do because USA Fencing had not been listening to women’s objections regarding [its gender eligibility policy],” Turner told Fox News Digital in an interview last week. “I took a knee immediately at that point. 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.'”
USA Fencing defended its trans-inclusion policy last week.
“USA Fencing remains committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful community for everyone in our sport. We believe in the principle of creating safe communities where all athletes, and community members, have a place,” the statement read.
“While we understand there are a range of perspectives, USA Fencing will continue to engage in respectful, research-based dialogue and review as policy evolves in the Olympic and Paralympic movement as well as domestic law, hate speech of any kind is not acceptable – online or in person. Let’s keep the conversation respectful and the strip welcoming to all.”
Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
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