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US Olympian and other fencers file class-action lawsuit against USA Fencing for alleged trans athlete incident

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US Olympian and other fencers file class-action lawsuit against USA Fencing for alleged trans athlete incident

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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. 

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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. 

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“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.”

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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Midwest

Sen Amy Klobuchar says she’s ‘seriously considering’ a gubernatorial bid

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Sen Amy Klobuchar says she’s ‘seriously considering’ a gubernatorial bid

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Long-serving Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., indicated that she is giving serious consideration to mounting a gubernatorial bid.

“I love my job, I love my state and I’m seriously considering it,” the lawmaker told CNN.

Current Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz mounted a re-election bid last year, but he later announced on Monday that he was dropping out of the race. His reversal comes amid the massive fraud scandal unfolding in the state linked to the Somali community. 

MINNESOTA REPUBLICANS SAY TIM WALZ NOT OFF THE HOOK AFTER DROPPING RE-ELECTION BID

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Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., appears on “Meet the Press” in Washington D.C., Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. (Shannon Finney/NBC via Getty Images)

“In September, I announced that I would run for a historic third term as Minnesota’s governor. And I have every confidence that, if I gave it my all, I would succeed in that effort,” he said in a statement.

“But as I reflected on this moment with my family and my team over the holidays, I came to the conclusion that I can’t give a political campaign my all. Every minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences. So I’ve decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work,” he noted.

Klobuchar, who has served in the U.S. Senate since early 2007, called Walz “a true public servant” in a post on X.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced that he would not be seeking reelection on Monday Jan. 5, 2026, at a press conference at the state capitol in St. Paul, Minn. (Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)

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JAMES COMER TO ACCUSE TIM WALZ OF BEING ‘ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL’ AT FRAUD HEARING

Walz’s announcement came after independent journalist Nick Shirley’s reporting about alleged massive fraud linked to taxpayer-funded daycare facilities in the state went viral.

But the governor asserted on Tuesday that he will not resign from office.

“I’m not goin’ anywhere,” he asserted. “And you can make all your requests for me to resign over my dead body will that happen.”

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Walz ran as then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate during the 2024 presidential election.

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Detroit, MI

Canucks Continue Road Trip with a Stop in Detroit on Thursday Night | Vancouver Canucks

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Canucks Continue Road Trip with a Stop in Detroit on Thursday Night | Vancouver Canucks


The Vancouver Canucks are set for game two of their season-long six-game road trip. They will face the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night for the second and final time this season.

Brock Boeser picked up a pair of assists in Tuesday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, while the Canucks’ three goals came from Liam Öhgren, Jake DeBrusk, and Elias Pettersson.

Filip Hronek also had an assist in the game and played a team-high 26:20 of ice time. The 28-year-old, who will represent his home country of Czechia at this year’s Olympics, has been strong at both ends of the ice this season and holds a 59.7% control of the goal share at five-on-five this season. He has been on the ice for 34 goals scored and 23 goals against.

DeBrusk had a hat trick and four points in the game the last time these two teams met in Detroit.

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Pettersson has five goals and 18 points in his 12 games against the Red Wings. He has four three-point games against them in his career and has three goals and 10 points in his six games in Detroit.

Quick Hits on the Competition

  • The Red Wings come into Thursday’s game with an 8-3-1 record in their last 12 games.
  • They picked up a 5-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators in their most recent outing.
  • Detroit is sitting pretty with a 25-15-4 record, and are second in the Atlantic Division.
  • On home ice, they posted a 14-8-1 record this season and have an 8-0-1 record in one-goal games on home ice.
  • Lucas Raymond (45 points) and Alex DeBrincat (43 points) lead the offence. DeBrincat is tied with Dylan Larkin for the team lead with 22 goals this season.
  • DeBrincat has scored 10 power play goals this season, and the Red Wings’ power play is tied for sixth in the league with its 24.6% conversion rate.
  • Moritz Seider leads the way on the backend. He is averaging 25:12 of ice time per game and has 31 points in 44 games.
  • John Gibson has made 25 starts this season, while Cam Talbot has 19 of his own. Gibson has a 14-9-1 record while Talbot is 11-6-3.

The Story: Power Plays

Rookie defenceman Tom Willander has been getting a run on the first power play unit over the past few games. The Canucks’ 2023 first-round pick is up to two goals and 10 assists for 12 points in 32 games this season.

The Canucks have picked up four power play goals in their last three games.

Jake DeBrusk leads the team with 10, and Kiefer Sherwood sits second on the squad with six.

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The team ranks 13th on the power play this season. They have scored on 20.4% of their opportunities with the man advantage.

Canucks’ Top Performers over the Last Five Games

Elias Pettersson: 3g-1a-4p
Jake DeBrusk: 2g-2a-4p
Linus Karlsson: 2g-2a-4p
Filip Hronek: 1g-3a-4p
Tom Willander: 1g-2a-3p

When and Where to Watch

Thursday’s game is at 4:00 p.m. PT, and you can watch the game on Sportsnet or listen to Brendan Batchelor’s radio call on Sportsnet 650 and the Sportsnet Radio Network.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee man charged; officer trapped in defendant’s getaway car

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Milwaukee man charged; officer trapped in defendant’s getaway car


A 26-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of fleeing police during an arrest attempt. An officer who was present to make the arrest ended up being trapped in the backseat of the defendant’s vehicle during an attempt to flee law enforcement. The accused is Kewane Daniels – and he faces the following criminal counts: 

  • First-degree recklessly endangering safety
  • False imprisonment
  • Operating a motor vehicle to flee or in an attempt to elude an officer
  • Second-degree recklessly endangering safety

Property taken, arrest attempt

What we know:

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According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police reported to the Comfort Suites near 118th and Silver Spring after a caller indicated that “property had been taken from her by the defendant,” the complaint says. The caller indicated location data alerted her that the property was in the hotel parking lot. Daniels also had two warrants for his arrest. 

The caller reached out to Daniels to come outside and meet her. Law enforcement were going to assist with arresting Daniels and getting the property back.

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The complaint indicates Daniels approached his car, and an officer followed and positioned himself behind an open rear door. He “drew his service weapon knowing that Daniels was reported to frequently be armed,” the complaint says. The officer ordered Daniels not to place the car in drive, but the complaint says Daniels ignored the orders and “accelerated in reverse in an attempt to flee (the officer).”

Arresting officer trapped in defendant’s vehicle

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Dig deeper:

The officer, who was now being forced to back pedal, “realized he could not keep up with the quickly reversing vehicle, and feared he may be overtaken and crushed beneath the auto. (The officer) stated that he had to jump into the open rear passenger’s seat in order to escape the possibility of being knocked down beneath the oncoming vehicle’s door and tires,” the complaint says.

The defendant quickly accelerated out of the hotel parking lot with the officer in the rear seat. The officer “continually ordered him to stop the car,” the complaint says. The officer stated, “Daniels fled at a high rate of speed near 90 mph east on W. Silver Spring Drive while losing control and mounting the curb several times,” the complaint says. During this entire incident, the officer said he “kept his service weapon aimed at Daniels while in the back seat. Due to the speeds and reckless driving, (the officer) could not exit the vehicle,” the complaint says.

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The court filing says the officer having his firearm pointed had no effect on Daniels pulling over the vehicle. Later, he put his weapon away to try and convince Daniels that he was not in danger and to pull over the vehicle. Instead, the defendant continued fleeing and driving recklessly, the complaint says.

Defendant bails, car crashes

What we know:

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Near 92nd and Birch Avenue in Milwaukee, the complaint says, “Daniels opened the driver’s door and abandoned the vehicle which was still moving at approximately 35 mph.” The officer remained trapped in the rear passenger seat of the driverless vehicle which “came to a stop when it mounted the curb, continued into a front yard, and eventually crashed into a tree,” the complaint says. It is noted that Daniels’ vehicle had the child locks engaged, so the officer was unable to exit the vehicle on his own.

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Officers in other squads quickly located Daniels. The complaint indicates the defendant was “missing footwear in extremely frigid temperatures.” His footwear was recovered in a grassy area near where he was taken into custody.

What’s next:

Online court records indicate Daniels is scheduled to make his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Thursday, Jan. 8. 

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The Source: Information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access and the criminal complaint associated with this case.

Crime and Public SafetyMilwaukeeNews



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