Fencer sues USA Fencing, U.S. Olympic Committee over trans sports ban

Transgender fencer Dinah Yukich just sued USA Fencing and the U.S. Olympic Committee for barring her from competition.

While Yukich hasn’t competed since 2022, she said she had been preparing to compete this season, but the sports organization changed policies in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans females from competing in women’s sports.

Related: U.S. Olympic Committee bars trans women from competing, caving to Trump

Yukich sued in New Jersey Superior Court challenging the policy as discrimination, according to The New York Times. That came after the fencer attempted to register for the Premier Challenge ROC in New York in September.

“The tournament organizers were beware that implementing the transgender policy may violate state law where an event is taking place,” Susan Cirilli, Yukich’s attorney, told the Times. “As stated in the pleading, upon information and belief, the USOPC and USAF worked together and conspired to ensure that transgender women were excluded from women’s competitions.”

While USA Fencing declined to comment, the sports authority updated its Transgender and Non-Binary Participation Policy earlier this year. In April, the USA Fencing Board announced coming changes to its athlete safety policy to comply with Trump’s directive.

Related: What does the science say about transgender women in sports?

“This policy was adopted preemptively, under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, as USA Fencing is required to align its athlete eligibility policies — known as the 'right to compete' — with standards set by international federations and oversight bodies, such as the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), International Olympic Committee (IOC), and International Fencing Federation (FIE), and their Paralympic equivalents. Although USA Fencing does not receive federal funding, it fully respects and adheres to applicable federal law,” the announcement reads.

The changes went into effect in August. Notably, while the new rules restrict women’s competition only to those assigned female at birth, all men’s categories remain open to all athletes.

Yukich in July complained about the policy change formally to USA Fencing and to the Olympic Committee, but attorneys closed the case. She is now seeking damages and a jury trial.