Midwest
US Olympian and other fencers file class-action lawsuit against USA Fencing for alleged trans athlete incident
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
FIRST ON FOX: U.S. Olympic fencer Margherita Guzzi Vincenti, alongside fellow competitive women’s fencers Emma Griffin and Patricia Hughes, have filed a class-action lawsuit against USA Fencing over an alleged incident at the 2025 North American Cup (NAC) in Kansas City, Missouri, in January.
Vincenti, Griffin and Hughes alleged USA Fencing knowingly permitted biological males to compete in women’s divisions while advertising events as female-only, including in competitions involving athletes under the age of 18.
“Because Defendant USFA’s youth and cadet policy authorized self-identification ‘without restriction’ and lacked any verification mechanism, biological males under 16 were permitted, and could have been expected, to compete in the women’s event,” the lawsuit alleged.
Margherita Guzzi Vincenti poses for a portrait during team USA Fencing media day at New York Athletic Club on May 21, 2024 in New York City. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
“Defendant USFA also does not disclose to members or participants whether transgender or non-binary athletes are entered in a given event, leaving female athletes and parents unable to make informed participation decisions.”
The lawsuit also alleged the organization did not enforce its own previous policy of only allowing males to compete in the women’s category after completing one year of testosterone-suppression treatment.
“On information and belief, Defendant USFA never implemented any system to monitor or verify compliance with this requirement. In practice, this lack of oversight allowed biological males to register for and compete in women’s events regardless of whether they had completed any hormone-suppression treatment,” the lawsuit alleges.
USA Fencing provided a statement to Fox News Digital responding to the lawsuit.
“USA Fencing is aware of the class‑action complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri on Oct. 29, and we strongly dispute its allegations. We will address this matter through the legal process and have no further comment at this time,” the statement read.
Guzzi, who competed for the Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, said she joined the lawsuit to protect the integrity of her sport.
“Fencing has been my life since I was a child,” she 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.”
Hughes, a veteran with 20 years of experience, expressed similar concern.
“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.”
WHO IS STEPHANIE TURNER? WOMEN’S FENCER WHO KNELT TO PROTEST TRANS OPPONENT AND IGNITED GLOBAL AWARENESS
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 suit argues that USA Fencing is an educational institution subject to Title IX, and therefore violated it by allowing males to compete in the girls’ and women’s category.
The suit seeks to argue this by alleging the organization listed itself as an educational service organization twice in 2020 and 2021 on its applications for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan during the COVID-19 pandemic, and because the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) receives direct federal funding, including taxpayer-derived appropriations, PPP forgivable loans, and funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The plaintiffs are being represented by Mahdavi, Bacon, Halfhill & Young PLLC and The Dhillon Law Group.
“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.”
Attorney Charles Wang of Mahdavi Bacon and pro bono general counsel of Fair Fencing Organization said, “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.”
Attorney James Bacon added, “this case is about restoring trust, transparency, and compliance with federal law.”
Former USA Fencing board chair Damien Lehfeldt is also listed as a defendant. Fox News Digital has reached out to Lehfeldt for comment.
Lehfeldt was replaced as chair last weekend after he chose not to seek re-election.
In Lehfeldt’s announcement that he would not seek re-election, he cited “lawsuits” and “death threats” as a reason for his decision. Lehfeldt has been at the center of controversy for USA Fencing dating back to April when women’s fencer Stephanie Turner went viral for kneeling in protest of a transgender fencer, and was disqualified.
The incident prompted a federal subpoena of Lehfeldt to a congressional hearing to explain the organization’s policy on transgender athletes. Then, former Olympic coach and board member Andrey Geva and former Olympic fencer Abdel Salem sued Lehfeldt for allegedly making “false statements” at the hearing.
USA Fencing then changed its transgender participation policy in July to only permit female competitors to participate in the women’s category. The change was made to ensure compliance with the USOPC’s new athlete safety policy, which now cites President Donald Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Read the full article from Here
Midwest
Arkansas woman and children found dead at mansion home day after final divorce hearing with estranged husband
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A woman and two of her children were found shot dead in their Arkansas mansion home just one day after a hearing to finalize her divorce, according to officials.
The Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that 40-year-old Charity Beallis and two children were found dead with gunshot wounds inside their home in Bonanza, Arkansas, on Dec. 3 following a welfare check. The shooting happened just one day after the final divorce hearing for Charity and her estranged husband, Randall, according to 5 News.
Republican Arkansas Sen. Terry Rice told the outlet that Charity met with him earlier in 2025 and said she was fearful for her life, as well as the lives of her children.
Randall was arrested earlier this year after he allegedly choked Charity on Feb. 16, 2025, according to the report. He was initially charged with aggravated assault on a family member, third-degree domestic battery, and two counts of third-degree endangering the welfare of a minor, but pleaded guilty to a single third-degree battery charge in October.
COLORADO DENTIST JAMES CRAIG FOUND GUILTY OF MURDERING WIFE IN POISONING PLOT
Charity Beallis filed for divorce from her husband in March. (Facebook)
According to 40/29 News, deputies said Randall, who is a doctor in Arkansas, wasn’t a suspect as of Friday.
Randall’s attorney told the outlet his client has been cooperative with law enforcement and fully supports the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office investigation.
He received a one-year suspended sentence and was given a no-contact order with his wife or any of her family members, which Charity approved of.
Charity made a comment on a 5 News article in August, where she wrote, “I’m living this battle right now. I am the victim, yet I’ve been treated like the problem while the criminal — a local doctor — is being shielded by the very system that’s supposed to protect us.”
TEXAS A&M STUDENT BRIANNA AGUILERA’S FALL DEATH SPARKS POLICE RESPONSE TO FAMILY’S EXPLOSIVE CLAIMS: REPORT
Randall Beallis was arrested in February. (Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office)
“I’ve tried to reach Prosecuting Attorney … but he won’t even accept a letter from me. My voice, as the victim, has been shut out,” Charity wrote. “This is not just about me — this is about a system that protects offenders and rejects victims. Lives are at stake, including the lives of young children.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Charity Beallis got married in 2015, according to divorce records. (Facebook)
Charity filed for divorce shortly after her husband was arrested in February. The divorce records indicate the two got married in 2015 and stopped living together in February.
After Charity died, on Dec. 4, Randall’s attorney filed a motion to dismiss the divorce case. Charity was seeking full custody of the children.
“Search warrants have been written and executed with more search warrants anticipated during the investigation. Interviews have taken place with more anticipated,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Randall’s attorney for comment.
Read the full article from Here
ALLEN PARK — The Detroit Lions will be without safety Kerby Joseph again this weekend, while listing seven other players as questionable.
Joseph and fellow safety Brian Branch were the only players ruled out ahead of Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams. Branch is out for the season due to an Achilles injury, but has not been placed on injured reserve yet. And Joseph, who will now miss his eighth straight game, suffered a setback and could be a candidate for injured reserve, per Dan Campbell.
The Lions listed tight end Shane Zylstra (knee), running back Sione Vaki (thumb), wide receiver Kalif Raymond (ankle), guard Christian Mahogany (fibula), safety Thomas Harper (concussion protocol), left tackle Taylor Decker (shoulder/rest) and guard Kayode Awosika (foot) as questionable.
Decker has not practiced this week. But he’s been dealing with a shoulder injury all season and is coming off playing three games in less than two weeks. Awosika missed last week’s game against the Dallas Cowboys due to his foot injury. The veteran guard has practiced in a limited capacity all week long.
Trystan Colon and Miles Frazier split duties at left guard last week for Awosika. The Lions will have a decision to make there between those three options, but perhaps for only another weekend.
Mahogany returned to practice this week. He seems like a longshot to play this weekend based on his injury. But the Lions are listing him as questionable after logging three limited practices in his first action back on the field.
Zylstra has been back at practice for two weeks in his return from injured reserve. Heading into the weekend, the Lions have only one tight end on their 53-man roster (Anthony Firkser) and hope to get Zylstra back.
Campbell said Harper has a chance to play against the Rams despite spending the week in concussion protocol. The Lions could sure use Harper, with Branch and Joseph both out, to hold things down at safety with Avonte Maddox against the high-powered Rams.
“Harper will be out there at practice today, so feel pretty good about him, but we’ll see,” Campbell said on Friday morning. “There again, I can’t give you definitives right now, but that’s kind of where we’re at.
“So, we’ll be good. Look, (Erick) Hallett’s been taking reps, (Daniel Thomas) DT’s been taking reps, Maddox has been taking reps. We’ve got plenty of guys. They’re getting valuable reps, so we’re good.”
Raymond has missed two consecutive games due to an ankle injury suffered against the New York Giants. He has a shot to return after working back into practice, and should reclaim his role returning punts.
Vaki has continued to play through his thumb injury. He hasn’t returned kickoffs since suffering the injury, with Tom Kennedy and Jacob Saylors taking over.
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee parents sue MPS saying staff member locked students in ‘dungeon’ as punishment
Children at Thurston Woods School in Milwaukee were locked in a boiler room as a punishment, a group of parents say in a recently filed lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed Dec. 8 in the Milwaukee County Circuit Court’s civil division by three sets of parents. The Milwaukee Board of School Directors is among the defendants.
The parents claim in court papers several employees at the K4-8 elementary school on North 35th Street sent kids to the boiler room if they misbehaved.
Some of those staff members, as well as students, referred to the boiler room as “The Dungeon,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims a former male paraprofessional at the school locked three students in a boiler room multiple times during the 2022-’23 and 2023-’24 school years.
In the lawsuit, the parents said the “dungeon” presented a serious hazard to the children because of the potential exposure to “chemicals, cleaning agents, boilers, and other machinery.”
The paraprofessional resigned in November 2023 after he was investigated for violating several school district policies. At the time, he told district officials he placed the students in the room as a scare tactic, the lawsuit states.
Among the defendants is former assistant principal Dennis Daniels.
He pleaded guilty in January to a misdemeanor charge of attempted misconduct in public office after failing to alert police that an 11-year-old student brought a gun to school in February 2024.
He initially was charged with a felony, but brokered a deal with prosecutors to instead plead to an amended lesser charge.
“Milwaukee Public Schools is committed to maintaining safe and welcoming learning environments for all students and staff,” Stephen Davis, an MPS spokesman, said in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, the district thoroughly investigated this matter in 2023 and took appropriate disciplinary action which included termination of employment.”
In a statement, Milwaukee attorney Drew DeVinney, who represents the parents, described the alleged behavior of school staff as “disbursing and egregious,” and that it appeared no one intervened to stop it.
He urged other families to come forward if they also were impacted.
“Concerningly, MPS did not report any of these instances of seclusion and restraint to the Department of Public Instruction, in violation of Wisconsin law.
“We hope that this lawsuit will serve as a vehicle to prevent further incidents and abuse, and to obtain justice for our clients.”
Chris Ramirez covers courts for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at caramirez@gannett.com.
Fox News AI Newsletter: Hegseth moves to revolutionize American warfighting
Investor pleads guilty in criminal case that felled hedge fund, damaged B. Riley
Review: ‘Resurrection’ is a sumptuous, transporting dive into the pure pleasures of the image
The Collaborative Vision Behind IED’s Graduate Fashion Shows
Kristi Noem grilled over L.A. Purple Heart Army vet who self-deported
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Three years on, former MEP Kaili remains in limbo still awaiting trial
Afghan CIA fighters face stark reality in the U.S. : Consider This from NPR
Video: Behind the Supreme Court’s Push to Expand Presidential Power
Kilmar Abrego Garcia seen for first time since release, pledges to ‘continue to fight’ Trump admin
Israel bombards areas across southern Lebanon in latest truce violation
-
Alaska6 days agoHowling Mat-Su winds leave thousands without power
-
Ohio1 week agoWho do the Ohio State Buckeyes hire as the next offensive coordinator?
-
Texas6 days agoTexas Tech football vs BYU live updates, start time, TV channel for Big 12 title
-
Washington3 days agoLIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
-
Iowa5 days agoMatt Campbell reportedly bringing longtime Iowa State staffer to Penn State as 1st hire
-
Miami, FL6 days agoUrban Meyer, Brady Quinn get in heated exchange during Alabama, Notre Dame, Miami CFP discussion
-
Cleveland, OH5 days agoMan shot, killed at downtown Cleveland nightclub: EMS
-
World5 days ago
Chiefs’ offensive line woes deepen as Wanya Morris exits with knee injury against Texans
