Olympian and Athletes Challenge USA Fencing Over Fairness in Women’s Sports
Class action filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri alleges violations of Title IX and false advertising of women’s fencing events
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mahdavi, Bacon, Halfhill & Young PLLC and The Dhillon Law Group, on behalf of U.S. Olympian Margherita Guzzi Vincenti, veteran fencer Patricia Hughes, and NCAA fencer Emma Griffin, have filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri against the United States Fencing Association (USA Fencing) and several of its board members.
The complaint alleges that USA Fencing violated Title IX and state consumer protection laws by falsely advertising sex-segregated women’s fencing competitions while allowing biological male athletes to compete in women’s events, including the January 2025 North American Cup (NAC) in Kansas City, Missouri.
According to the complaint, USA Fencing is a federally funded educational institution subject to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Executive Order 14201 (2025), which reaffirm protections for female athletes in federally funded sports programs. The lawsuit seeks injunctive and monetary relief on behalf of thousands of affected fencers nationwide.
“Title IX was enacted to ensure equal athletic opportunities for women,” said attorney Karin Sweigart of The Dhillon Law Group, “Our clients are not asking for special treatment, only for the fairness and integrity that women’s sports have long promised.
“By allowing biological men to compete in a women’s event, USA Fencing violated Title IX by depriving women of their own sport that women had fought for over one hundred years to have,” said attorney Charles Wang of Mahdavi Bacon and pro bono general counsel of Fair Fencing Organization. Attorney James Bacon stated that “this case is about restoring trust, transparency, and compliance with federal law.”
Margherita Guzzi Vincenti, a member of Team USA and Olympian in the 2024 Paris Games, said she joined the lawsuit to protect the integrity of her sport. “Fencing has been my life since I was a child,” Guzzi Vincenti said. “I have trained and competed with the expectation that women’s competitions are for women. It is about fairness and preserving opportunities for girls and women who dedicate their lives to competing on equal terms.”
Patricia Hughes, a veteran Epee fencer with more than 20 years in the sport, expressed concern for the next generation.
“I have seen women’s fencing grow from a niche sport to one where female athletes can thrive internationally,” Hughes said. “That progress only continues if fairness is enforced. The next generation of girls deserves the same level playing field that inspired us decades ago.”
Emma Griffin, a standout NCAA competitor, said young athletes deserve honesty and clarity from national governing bodies.
“We pay entry fees, travel across the country, and commit years to training,” Griffin said. “We deserve to know the rules and trust that women’s events are truly women’s events. It is about respect for athletes and transparency from the organizations that govern our sport.”
The class action asserts that USA Fencing and its board members knowingly permitted biological males to compete in women’s divisions while advertising events as female-only, thereby defrauding participants and violating Title IX. The plaintiffs seek to represent all female athletes and parents of minor female fencers who participated in or registered for the January 2025 NAC.
The suit also alleges that USA Fencing misrepresented its federal funding status to Congress while benefiting from federal funds through the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, thereby triggering Title IX obligations.
A similar class action was filed against USA Fencing by parents of minor athletes in Texas in August. The current lawsuit, together with the Texas lawsuit, represent plaintiffs covering every age group of fencing athletes, from 10 year old to 70 year old.