A transgender-identifying fencer at Wagner College in Staten Island, New York has left the team following a national controversy in which a female opponent forfeited a match against him.
On March 30, 31-year-old fencer Stephanie Turner forfeited in protest against Wagner’s Redmond Sullivan at a competition in Maryland. Turner was disqualified from the tournament for refusing to compete against Sullivan, who is a male.
A Wagner College spokesperson confirmed to Campus Reform that Sullivan is not currently on the school’s team.
“We are in full compliance with NCAA and NEC rules and regulations,” the spokesperson said. “The fencer is not a member of our fencing team.”
“[W]hat I was doing already was just avoiding tournaments where I knew there was a transgender fencer,” Turner told The Daily Mail after the incident. “But at this point, what else should I do? Should I just not sign up for any tournaments? I have no other options.”
Turner noted that many referees support transgender athletes competing in women’s fencing, as reported by The New York Post.
“I would lose favor within the sight of referees and I could end up with a biased bout,” Turner explained. “I could lose friends who I don’t know what their position is on this.”
The tournament that Sullivan competed in on March 30 was not an NCAA-sanctioned event, according to the Post.
Sullivan was a member of Wagner College’s women’s team during the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 seasons, according to Fox News.
The Staten Island Advance has reported that references to Sullivan on Wagner College’s women’s fencing web page appear to have been taken down.
In February, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at prohibiting men from competing in women’s sports at institutions that receive federal funding.
Shortly after President Trump’s executive order, the NCAA updated its eligibility policy to comply with the federal directive.
“A student-athlete assigned male at birth may not compete on a women’s team,” the organization’s new rule reads. “A student-athlete assigned male at birth may practice on the team consistent with their gender identity and receive all other benefits applicable to student-athletes who are otherwise eligible for practice.”
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
