{"id":2499,"date":"2026-07-09T18:18:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T13:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=2499"},"modified":"2026-07-09T18:18:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T13:18:11","slug":"transgender-fencer-held-womens-scholarship-before-trump-order-and-ncaa-policy-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=2499","title":{"rendered":"Transgender fencer held women&#8217;s scholarship before Trump order and NCAA policy change"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div data-layout-index=\"4\" class=\"featured featured-video video-ct\" data-v-7b1896ea=\"\"><!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"contain\" data-v-7b1896ea=\"\">  <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"info\" data-v-7b1896ea=\"\">\n<div class=\"caption\" data-v-7b1896ea=\"\">\n<h4 class=\"title\" data-v-7b1896ea=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/video\/6399945985112\" data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_featured-video_5_1\" data-v-7b1896ea=\"\">Linda McMahon slams Democrats for dismissing women&#8217;s sports concerns<\/a><\/h4>\n<p data-v-7b1896ea=\"\">Education Secretary Linda McMahon discusses the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling upholding transgender sports bans, emphasizing the need to protect women&#8217;s sports. McMahon highlights the impact on female athletes, addressing concerns about fairness, lost opportunities, and safety in locker rooms. She criticizes Democrats for their dismissal of these issues, reaffirming the Trump administration&#8217;s commitment to defending women&#8217;s rights under Title IX.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">Fencer <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_1298553\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/sports\/who-stephanie-turner-womens-fencer-who-knelt-protest-trans-opponent-ignited-global-awareness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephanie Turner<\/a> was black-carded last year for refusing to compete against a trans-identifying male opponent in a women\u2019s fencing tournament.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">Now, Turner says a new detail proves exactly why she <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_1298554\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/opinion\/forced-compete-against-male-supreme-court-backs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">took a knee<\/a> in the first place.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_1298555\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-sports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><u>CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Redmond Sullivan, the transgender fencer Turner refused to face at the Cherry Blossom Open in March 2025, previously received a $5,000 athletic scholarship per semester while competing at Wagner College, according to a recent <i>CT Mirror<\/i> profile.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/343\/192\/fencing.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/686\/384\/fencing.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/672\/378\/fencing.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1344\/756\/fencing.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/931\/523\/fencing.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1862\/1046\/fencing.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/720\/405\/fencing.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1440\/810\/fencing.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/fencing.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Two fencers dueling with foil swords on a lit stage with blue lighting and smoke effects.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Two fencers clash foil swords on a dramatically lit stage to determine the match winner.<\/span> <span>(Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Sullivan, who previously fenced for Wagner\u2019s men\u2019s team before moving to the women\u2019s team in 2024, lost the scholarship after President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at keeping males out of women\u2019s sports and after <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_1298556\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/sports\/ncaa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the NCAA changed<\/a> its transgender athlete policy.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_1298557\" href=\"https:\/\/ctmirror.org\/2026\/07\/02\/transgender-athlete-uconn-scotus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><i>CT Mirror<\/i> profile<\/a> framed Sullivan\u2019s story as one of loss and rebuilding. Turner sees it very differently.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;It\u2019s funny Redmond let it slip in this sob piece that he\u2019s been earning women\u2019s athletic scholarship money, as if women should feel sorry that he\u2019s been stealing money and opportunities from them,&#8221; Turner told OutKick.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;It really highlights the obscenity of trans activist claims that \u2018transwomen\u2019 just want to be included when in fact they\u2019re earning coveted positions on college sports teams, scholarship money, and awards off the backs of deserving women.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/343\/192\/IMG_2627-scaled.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/686\/384\/IMG_2627-scaled.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/672\/378\/IMG_2627-scaled.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1344\/756\/IMG_2627-scaled.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/931\/523\/IMG_2627-scaled.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1862\/1046\/IMG_2627-scaled.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/720\/405\/IMG_2627-scaled.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1440\/810\/IMG_2627-scaled.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/IMG_2627-scaled.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Stephanie Turner in a professional editorial portrait setting.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Stephanie Turner prepares for competition.<\/span> <span>(Photo courtesy of Stephanie Turner)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Turner became a viral figure in March 2025 when she took a knee rather than fence Sullivan in the Division 1A women\u2019s foil event at the Cherry Blossom Open, a USA Fencing-sanctioned regional tournament held at the <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_1298558\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/sports\/ncaa\/maryland-terrapins\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">University of Maryland<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Turner removed her mask, knelt and refused to compete. She was issued a black card and disqualified from the tournament.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">At the time, USA Fencing said Turner was not punished for her beliefs, but rather for refusing to fence an eligible competitor. The organization later placed Turner on one year of probation.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The incident quickly became one of the most visible flashpoints in the national debate over transgender athletes in women\u2019s sports. Turner testified before Congress in May 2025 and said her protest was an act of desperation after years of frustration with USA Fencing\u2019s transgender athlete policy.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Since then, the landscape has shifted dramatically.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">USA Fencing later changed its policy to require athletes in domestic competition to compete according to biological sex, following updated guidance from the <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_1298559\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/sports\/olympics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee<\/a>. The NCAA also changed its policy after Trump\u2019s executive order, limiting women\u2019s competition to biological females only.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_1298560\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-sports\/usa-fencing-transgender-saga-takes-ironic-twist-org-defends-banning-trans-athlete-womens-event\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>USA FENCING TRANSGENDER SAGA TAKES IRONIC TWIST AS ORG DEFENDS BANNING TRANS ATHLETE FROM WOMEN&#8217;S EVENT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">And last week, the Supreme Court handed supporters of <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_1298561\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/conservatives-hail-justice-thomas-truth-bomb-ruling-protecting-womens-sports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">women\u2019s sports another major victory<\/a>, ruling 6-3 against challenges to laws in Idaho and West Virginia that restrict males from competing in girls\u2019 and women\u2019s sports.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/343\/192\/trump-executive-order.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/686\/384\/trump-executive-order.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/672\/378\/trump-executive-order.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1344\/756\/trump-executive-order.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/931\/523\/trump-executive-order.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1862\/1046\/trump-executive-order.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/720\/405\/trump-executive-order.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1440\/810\/trump-executive-order.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1200\/675\/trump-executive-order.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"President Donald Trump\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>U.S. President Donald Trump joined by women athletes signs the &#8220;No Men in Women\u2019s Sports&#8221; executive order in the East Room at the White House on February 5, 2025 in Washington, DC. The executive order, which Trump signed on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, prohibits transgender women from competing in women\u2019s sports and is the third order he has signed that targets transgender people.<\/span> <span>(Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Turner said the ruling was a relief, but she believes the fight is far from over.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;It\u2019s such a relief to see the Supreme Court ruling against men in women\u2019s sports. I\u2019ve been waiting a long time for this moment,&#8221; Turner told OutKick. &#8220;However, there\u2019s a lot of work to be done at the state level. Totally ridding women\u2019s sports of men requires states to pass their own bills, and we all know there are Democrat-run state legislatures so deeply wedded to transgender ideology that the idea of passing such bills seems daunting.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;As long as we keep sounding the alarm, waking people up to common sense, and cataloging our grievance, these bills will get passed. It\u2019s only a matter of time.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">According to <i>CT Mirror<\/i>, Sullivan has since <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_1298562\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/sports\/ncaa\/connecticut-huskies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">transferred to UConn<\/a>, majors in history and secondary education, practices with the UConn Fencing Club and competes in mixed-gender fencing events when possible. Sullivan told the outlet fencing is no longer the main focus.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;My life is now rotated to focus on different goals, and it\u2019s not fencing,&#8221; Sullivan said. &#8220;Which was going to happen eventually, because it\u2019s something that you can only do for so long. But I would\u2019ve liked to have chased fencing for a little bit longer.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">For Turner, the scholarship detail adds a new layer to a story that was initially framed by critics as one athlete refusing to include another.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Her argument is that the issue was never simply about participation. It was about roster spots, competitive opportunities, awards and now, by Sullivan\u2019s own account, scholarship money.<\/p>\n<p> <!----> <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p>Amber Harding is a writer for OutKick.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Linda McMahon slams Democrats for dismissing women&#8217;s sports concerns Education Secretary Linda McMahon discusses the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling upholding transgender sports bans, emphasizing the need to protect women&#8217;s sports. McMahon highlights the impact on female athletes, addressing concerns about fairness, lost opportunities, and safety in locker rooms. She criticizes Democrats for their dismissal of these&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2500,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/fencing-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2499"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2499\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}