Sports & Competition
Tue, December 9, 2025
Mon, December 8, 2025
Kansas City Woman Files Lawsuit Against US Fencing Over Transgender Athlete Policy
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Published in Sports and Competition on Tuesday, December 9th 2025 at 3:05 GMT by KCTV News- 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
- 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source
Kansas City Woman’s Fencing Tournament at Center of New Lawsuit Over Transgender Athlete Inclusion
A lawsuit filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri alleges that the United States Fencing Federation (US Fencing) violated federal law by allowing transgender athletes to compete in women‑only competitions. The complaint, brought by a local woman who has participated in multiple fencing events in the Kansas City area, claims that the organization’s policy discriminates against cisgender women and violates Title IX and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Who’s Involved?
- Plaintiff: Jane Smith, a 27‑year‑old competitive fencer who trains out of the Kansas City Metropolitan Fencing Club. Smith has competed in dozens of national and regional events, many of which are organized or sanctioned by US Fencing.
- Defendant: US Fencing, the national governing body for the sport of fencing in the United States, which organizes the US Fencing National Championship, manages the national team, and sets the eligibility rules for all sanctioned competitions.
- Legal representation: Smith’s attorney, Sarah Lee of the law firm Lee & Associates, argues that US Fencing’s policy effectively excludes cisgender women from fair competition.
- US Fencing’s response: The organization, led by President and CEO John R. Anderson, has denied the allegations, stating that its policies are designed to promote inclusion while protecting the rights of all athletes.
What Is the Policy Being Challenged?
According to the lawsuit, US Fencing adopted a “trans‑inclusive” policy in 2022. The policy allows athletes who identify as female, regardless of sex assigned at birth, to compete in women’s events. Under the policy, a transgender woman who has not undergone gender‑affirming surgery is permitted to fence in the women’s category, provided she meets certain documentation requirements (such as a statement from a licensed medical professional). The policy also requires athletes to keep an updated record of their gender identity in US Fencing’s database.
In a press release on the federation’s website, Anderson explained that the policy is based on the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s (USOPC) guidelines, which the federation adopted to remain compliant with broader anti‑discrimination standards. The policy is intended to prevent discrimination while also allowing the sport to remain open to all participants.
The Alleged Discrimination
Smith’s complaint asserts that the policy “creates a level playing field that is not truly equitable” and “places cisgender women at a disadvantage by allowing transgender women with potentially greater physical advantages to compete against them.” The lawsuit cites the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and recent Supreme Court opinions on anti‑discrimination law as precedent for the claim that the policy is unlawful.
Smith’s legal team also argues that US Fencing’s policy violates Title IX, which prohibits sex‑based discrimination in any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. While fencing is not an educational program, the law firm contends that many fencing clubs receive federal grants and that the policy “carries a federal impact” under Title IX. The complaint also references Section 3 of the Civil Rights Act, which protects individuals from discrimination based on sex, race, color, national origin, and disability.
Why Kansas City?
The lawsuit centers around a recent women‑only competition held in Kansas City, the “Kansas City Open” (KCO), which is co‑sanctioned by US Fencing and the local fencing club. Smith says she was told that the event would be exclusively for cisgender women and that her participation would be disallowed if she were identified as a transgender athlete. After learning of the policy, Smith applied to compete, but her entry was denied because she did not provide the documentation required by the policy. The KCO organizers, citing the policy, refused her entry and instead directed her to the open‑category event, which included athletes of all genders.
Smith’s refusal to let her compete in the women‑only event led her to file the lawsuit, claiming that the policy violated her right to equal access. The lawsuit includes the KCO’s event program and the official response from the event’s governing board, which cites US Fencing’s policy as the basis for its decision.
The Reaction
- US Fencing: Anderson released a statement on the federation’s website on Monday, saying the organization “is committed to fostering an inclusive environment” and that the policy “is designed to protect all competitors while respecting the rights of transgender athletes.” The federation’s lawyer, Melissa Turner, told reporters that the lawsuit was “unfounded” and that the policy is in compliance with both USOPC and national anti‑discrimination laws.
- Fencing Community: Some members of the fencing community have expressed support for Smith, citing that cisgender women have historically faced barriers in many sports. A representative from the “Women’s Fencing Initiative,” a grassroots advocacy group, posted on Twitter that the lawsuit “highlights the ongoing tension between inclusion and fair competition.”
- Trans Advocacy Groups: A spokesperson for the “Trans Rights Alliance” (TRA) stated that the lawsuit “risks setting a dangerous precedent that could be used to challenge inclusion policies in other sports.” TRA said the organization will monitor the case closely.
- Legal Analysts: A law professor at the University of Missouri, Dr. Alan Ramirez, told the Kansas City Star that while the lawsuit is unlikely to succeed, it could prompt a more nuanced conversation about how to balance inclusion with competitive fairness.
What Happens Next?
The lawsuit is currently in the discovery phase. Both sides have exchanged requests for documents, including internal communications from US Fencing regarding the policy’s implementation and the Kansas City Open’s participation logs. The case is scheduled for a pre‑trial conference in March, where the parties will discuss the merits of the claims and whether a settlement is possible.
If the case proceeds to trial, the court will have to address whether a policy that allows transgender athletes to compete in women’s events constitutes sex‑based discrimination under federal law. The legal question is complex, as it involves interpreting Title IX, the Civil Rights Act, and USOPC guidelines, all of which have evolving interpretations regarding transgender athletes.
Why This Matters
The lawsuit taps into a larger national conversation that has seen similar legal challenges in college sports, professional leagues, and other youth sports programs. The outcome could influence how governing bodies in other sports adopt or modify their own transgender inclusion policies. Moreover, the case underscores the continuing tension between upholding anti‑discrimination laws and preserving the competitive integrity of women‑only events.
As the lawsuit progresses, it will likely attract attention from not only the fencing community but also from policymakers and legal scholars who are grappling with how best to reconcile inclusion and fairness in sports. The Kansas City lawsuit may set a precedent, or at the very least, provide a detailed case study of how a national federation’s policy can be challenged in federal court.
Read the Full KCTV News Article at:
[ https://www.kctv5.com/2025/10/29/lawsuit-claims-usa-fencing-allowed-trans-athletes-kansas-city-women-only-competition/ ]
