National sports governing bodies must be held accountable for failing to protect women

Fox News

23-05-2025

Just over a year ago, I argued in Fox News that national governing bodies like USA Volleyball and USA Fencing were corruptibly operating outside of accountability. Now they are saying the quiet part out loud, admitting in Congressional testimony and written policy that they won't comply with female-safety/opportunity standards unless "required by oversight bodies." Female athletes like me have suffered the devastating consequence of the lack of NGB oversight, and it is time Congress and the White House finally call them out.
USA Fencing released a "Revised Transgender & Non-Binary Athlete Eligibility Policy" earlier this month with the added note "it will only be implemented if required by oversight bodies." This follows their humiliating spotlight when female fencer Stephanie Turner had to bow out of her own competition when the rule makers allowed a male opponent to jeopardize her safety. The USA Fencing-sanctioned event issued her a disqualifying black card as a "direct result of her decision to decline to fence an eligible opponent."
Their "inclusive" message was exposed in the light—it's nothing but discriminatory exclusion.
The story doesn't end with Stephanie. Reduxx continues to uncover more men masquerading as women in USA Fencing competitions, some of which hold leadership positions within the organization. Their elevated platforms affirms the ideologically captured state of the board who voted against playing the national anthem at championships earlier this year and openly admits to factoring ratings from LGBTMAP.org and healthcare access (abortion laws) into fencing site selection.
Congress certifies these sports' national governing bodies (NGBs) through the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act. Doing this largely yields oversight responsibilities to the USOPC, which generally allows for regulatory autonomy.
But this yielded authority is not just about general rules of sport; it directs eligibility standards, informs university rulemaking, dictates how our country is represented in the Olympics, and more.
It's hard to ignore the politically charged nature of athletics in today's climate, from covering USA jerseys in sexual pride to recognizing DEI as a core tenant of sports governance (see: USOPC "Diversity Scorecards"). It is clear; the USOPC's passivity has enabled the NGB's to operate as extended political arms with Congressional approval and very little accountability.
But their politically-charged discrimination has now made its way to the national stage.
Last month, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) penned a letter to USA Fencing requiring they "must comply with United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee rules and procedures, its statutory obligations to protect women, and President Trump's recent Executive Order (EO) on Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" to keep their NGB certification.
While the NGBs already hold a specific obligation to ensure fairness and safety, President Trump's executive order specifically clarifies the secretary of state must "use all appropriate and available measures to see that the International Olympic Committee amends the standards governing Olympic sports to promote fairness, safety, and the best interests of female athletes by ensuring that eligibility for participation in women's sporting events is determined according to sex and not gender identity or testosterone reduction."
Sen. Cruz's letter brought the weight of the Upper Chamber in his demands for documentation, clarity on how many men were competing in their women's categories, answers for their compliance in accordance with the executive order, and more.
In the House of Representatives, the DOGE subcommittee invited Stephanie Turner and USA Fencing Board Chair Damien Lehfeldt to testify in a hearing on May 7th. After refusing the invitation, the Committee required Mr. Lehfeldt's appearance by issuing a subpoena. Chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said USA Fencing "should not be recognized as the National Governing Body for fencing if it continues to defy the law."
USA Fencing is facing heat from all angles. Good.
During the hearing, Mr. Lehfeldt said he is "prepared to pivot" if the Ted Stevens Act is amended or the IOC directs them. But it begs a greater question; why must the federal government force them to protect female athletes? Why hasn't the USOPC stood up for female athletes?
Without the accountability of the people and their elected representatives, NGBs have pursued policy goals that hurt women and undermine our country's values. Congress and the White House must continue to strengthen enforcement through the USOPC and remind NGBs that our country is a place for opportunity, not politically charged discrimination.