Midwest
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.
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.
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Illinois
Illinois Tollway proposing increased tolls in 2027 to fund $26.5 billion in road construction
Illinois drivers might soon have to pay more to drive on the state’s tollways.
The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority has proposed an increase in tolls in 2027. If approved by the board, it would be the state’s first toll hike since 2012.
Anyone who drives in the Chicago area likely jumps on one of the Illinois tollways at some point.
“I try to avoid them, you know what I mean? But if I’ve got to get somewhere, and it’s like 10 minutes quicker, I’ll just take the toll,” said Shomari Dyson.
But that toll could cost Dyson and thousands of drivers who take it an average of 45 cents more per toll for passenger vehicles and 30% more per toll for commercial vehicles starting Jan. 1, 2027, if the Illinois tollway board approves the proposed toll hike, and those paying the tolls aren’t happy
“It’s ridiculous. I’m constantly getting tolls, charges, refills on my bank account when my iPass goes through. So, I can imagine it’s just going to happen more and more often,” Jon Jackson said.
Currently, tolls run as low as 30 cents and as high as $1.50 at various toll plazas.
This proposed hike could place the average toll well over a $1 every time drivers pass through an automatic toll plaza.
“I like to know where my money is going, and then [Interstate] 294 has been under construction for the last 15 years, and that is frustrating,” Frank Faso said.
The tollway said the hike is needed to handle projected repairs for road widening, bridge repair, and new technology. It’s all tied to a 15-year capital improvement program estimated to cost $26.5 billion.
The tollway board also wants automatic inflation-based increases every two years starting in 2029.
“We pay our taxes, man, you know what I’m saying? So all that extra, it’s nonsense,” Dyson said.
“If we’re going to void and not take part in things like the World Cup and Soldier Field that’s going to bring tax revenue to the state, they shouldn’t charge me for it,” Faso said.
The board must hold a dozen meetings in various counties to get the public’s take before voting on the toll hike. The first one kicks off in August, but drivers question if the public hearings are really about input.
“I think they’re just going to keep going through the motions,” Jackson said.
MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — June 19 is a celebration of the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas learned they were free.
As communities across Indiana mark the holiday, the Juneteenth event in Martinsville drew a lot of attention on Friday evening.
Event organizer Jeannine Lee Ferrer said, “This is American history. It’s all of our history, and I think we should all celebrate it, because I think most of the people are happy that it finally ended.”
Sampson Levingston, a local tour guide and Indiana history buff, says Martinsville is historically known as a sundown town, a place where Black people were warned not to remain after dark for fear of their safety. In 1968, a Black woman named Carol Jenkins was killed by two men while selling encyclopedias door to door. One of her killers was never found.
Levingston said, “She got murdered with a hate crime by a white guy and so there are some things that sting. I’ve seen with my own eyes: KKK signs in Martinsville, Indiana.”
Ku Klux Klan, or KKK, is a white supremacist and right-wing extremist hate group in the United States.
Martinsville’s history was one of the reasons why the event generated a lot of conversation within the community. As Levingston sees it, the event was a positive move. “Why not? Wherever you live, wherever you are, figure out how you can get involved with Juneteenth. We’ve got beautiful cities with beautiful history, and I think it’s time we all lean into that and acknowledge that so we can learn and grow with it,” he said.
In a statement, Republican Martinsville Mayor Kenny Costin says the city has undergone a positive transformation.
“The progress is real, and it is ongoing. We remain committed to this work, so Martinsville becomes not only a place where people are proud to live, but a place where they are proud to belong.”
Ferrer said she’s lived in Martinsville since 2021 and has not experienced anything racist in the city. However, she said she was upset when the event was first announced, and people made racist comments to her online. “I’m not being naive to what has gone on in the past, but I think Martinsville has moved to a different chapter, and we’re ready as citizens of Morgan County and Martinsville, Indiana, to turn a page, and I look forward to today being a part of that.”
Ferrer said dozens of people have reached out to her, offering their support and wanting to learn more about the holiday. “Those really are truly the people that are touching my heart and are making me think that this was a good thing to do, and to reach out and let people know that we are more alike than we are different.”
She hopes to host another Juneteenth event in Martinsville in 2026.
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13-16-21-26-50, Mega Ball: 12
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Midday: 3-2-2
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Midday: 4-2-1-0
Evening: 9-9-0-7
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02-20-28-51-54, Bonus: 02
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- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
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