Male fencer off women’s team roster after declined match

A man is off the women’s fencing team at Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y. about two weeks after a female fencer’s refusal of a bout with him went viral. Redmond Sullivan is no longer listed on the school’s women's fencing team, though internet archives show the athlete was listed on the roster at the beginning of the year. Web archives also showed Sullivan listed on the Wagner men’s fencing team the previous season. Wagner College recently confirmed to Fox News Digital that Sullivan was off the team.

What happened in the bout? In a much-shared video clip, Stephanie Turner received a black card disqualifying her from a Maryland competition for taking a knee and refusing to fence Sullivan, a male athlete who identifies as transgender. Just before her match with Sullivan, spectators saw Turner kneel, remove her mask, and tell the referee that she could not fence a male opponent. When Sullivan approached Turner, the still-kneeling female said she had love and respect for the male athlete, but could not fence him, according to an interview she gave to Fox News. Turner’s disqualification from the weekend tournament triggered an outpouring of public support on social media.

Are there any updates on Turner? Athletics brand XX-XY Athletics gave Turner the company’s Courage Wins Award with a $5,000 grant. It’s an honor to support Turner, the company replied in a comment. It remains unclear whether Turner’s black card will be appealed or removed by USA Fencing.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into USA Fencing earlier this week, saying the disqualification may have violated Texas state law. Investigators would uncover documents related to USA Fencing possibly engaging in false, deceptive, and misleading acts and practices, according to a Wednesday statement from Paxton’s office. 

Dig deeper: Read my previous report for more on Turner’s disqualification.