USA Fencing elects new chair amid previous trans athlete coverage controversy | USAEMALL.com

USA Fencing has a new chair after former chair Damien Lehfeldt announced he would not seek re-election over the weekend. 

The national governing body confirmed that former U.S. wheelchair fencing Paralympian Scott Rodgers succeeded Lehfeldt last Friday, in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

“On Oct. 24, USA Fencing’s Board of Directors elected Dr. Scott Rodgers PLY to serve as Board Chair. Dr. Rodgers is a Paralympic medalist and the first active athlete — and first parafencer — to lead our Board, and he will serve through the Board’s Annual Meeting in fall 2027,” the statement read.

“His election reflects the Board’s continued commitment to athlete‑centered governance and the growth of fencing at every level. We thank Damien Lehfeldt for his service; his term as Board Chair has concluded.”  

(L-R) Stephanie Turner, the US fencer who refused to compete against a transgender opponent, former high school volleyball player Payton McNabb, and USA Fencing Board chairman Damien Lehfeldt testify during House Oversight DOGE Subcommittee hearing on trans people in women’s sports on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on May 7, 2025.  ( Oliver Contreras / AFP)

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. 

“I didn’t sign up to spend my nights and weekends dealing with lawsuits, death threats, and distractions that pull focus from the real work of governing and growing our sport. I want to get back to fencing, to mentoring, to coaching, and to just being part of the community I love, not constantly defending it in courtrooms and comment sections,” Lehfeldt said in his announcement. 

“I knew it would be hard work, but I underestimated just how much of my time and energy it would take. Between my full-time job, young kids, and using nearly all my vacation days to volunteer, I’ve reached a point where I’m simply tired.”

Lehfeldt included a paragraph in his announcement advocating for inclusion in the fencing. 

“Fencing is for everyone,” Lehfeldt said. “No matter your race, religion, gender, gender identity, or socioeconomic background — this sport belongs to you. That’s not just a slogan to me; it’s a commitment. And even with the challenges we’ve faced, I’m going to keep fighting for a fencing community that’s open, accessible, and welcoming to all.” 

Ahead of the May 7 congressional hearing, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) subcommittee hearing on transgender athletes, Lehfeldt made a series of posts on his Instagram Stories that were later blown up and used against him on the committee floor. In one post, which went viral before the hearing, he responded to a question that asked whether he was “okay” with putting female fencers at a disadvantage with a simple, brash answer: “Yeah.” 

Then, during the hearing, Lehfeldt admitted multiple times he regretted answering that way and admitted the question required a “more-nuanced” response. 

At one point during the hearing, Lefheldt confessed to falsifying an email from a fictitious fencing mother “Dorothy” who disagreed with him and called those members with similar view of “Dorothy” “grand wizard” of Ku Klux Klan.

“It was a poor attempt at humor,” Lehfeldt said. 

WHO IS STEPHANIE TURNER? WOMEN’S FENCER WHO KNELT TO PROTEST TRANS OPPONENT AND IGNITED GLOBAL AWARENESS

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., holds up maps of the U.S. in front of an alleged screenshot from USA Fencing board director Damien Lehfeldt’s instagram during the hearing on “Unfair Play: Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” held by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Subcommittee at the U.S. Capitol on May 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

Rep. Tim Burhcett, R-Tenn., asked Lehfeldt whether he would let his daughter fence against “a man.” Lehfeldt suggested he would allow it while boasting about his organization’s safety precautions. 

“As long as the competitor has met all the hormonal requirements and complies with the policy, I would be okay with it,” Lehfeldt said. 

Turner previously told Fox News Digital after the May hearing that she would work to lobby leadership changes to USA Fencing after stepping away from the sport. 

“I’m going to be pushing for people to resign, to be honest. I’d like to see some people resign for the comments that they’ve made, especially publicly, ones that are harassing and meant to humiliate concerned women, mothers and daughters,” Turner said. 

USA Fencing’s board voted to amend its current policy that prioritized states with LGBTQ-friendly laws for host sites for competitions and a policy that may have prevented the playing of the national anthem at some events, at its June 7 meeting.

The previous policies became one of the organization’s biggest points of criticism after Turner’s viral protest. 

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. 

USA Fencing responded to Geva and Salem’s lawsuit in a statement previously provided to Fox News Digital. 

“USA Fencing proudly serves its members — athletes, coaches, referees and clubs — across our community with absolute transparency and integrity. This derivative lawsuit misrepresents our organization, and we will vigorously defend the organization in court; any attempt to disparage them will be addressed appropriately,” the statement read.

“Because litigation is ongoing, we cannot discuss details. Our focus remains unwavering: advancing fencing nationwide, supporting every member’s success, and upholding the values of the Olympic and Paralympic movement.”

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.