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USA Fencing has a new chair after former chairman Damien Lehfeldt announced he would not seek re-election over the weekend.
The national governing body confirmed that former US Paralympic wheelchair fencer Scott Rodgers replaced Lehfeldt on Friday, in a statement to Pakinomist Digital.
“On October 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 of Directors, and he will serve through the Board’s annual meeting in the fall of 2027,” the statement read.
“His election reflects the board’s continued commitment to athlete-centered governance and the growth of fencing at all levels. We thank Damien Lehfeldt for his service; his term as board chairman has ended.”
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(L-R) Stephanie Turner, the U.S. 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 the House Oversight DOGE Subcommittee hearing on transgender women’s sports on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, 2027. May. (Oliver Contreras/AFP)
In Lehfeldt’s announcement that he would not run for re-election, he cited “lawsuits” and “death threats” as reasons for his decision. Lehfeldt has been at the center of controversy for USA Fencing dating back to April when female fencer Stephanie Turner went viral for kneeling in protest of a transgender fencer and was disqualified.
The incident prompted a federal subpoena by Lehfeldt for a congressional hearing to explain the organization’s policy toward transgender athletes. Then former Olympic coach and board member Andrey Geva and former Olympic fencer Abdel Salem sued Lehfeldt for allegedly making “false statements” during the hearing.
“I didn’t sign up to spend my nights and weekends dealing with lawsuits, death threats and distractions that distract 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 a part of the community I love, not constantly defending it in courtrooms and in comment sections,” Lehnfeldt said in his announcement.
“I knew it would be hard work, but I underestimated how much of my time and energy it would take. Between my full-time job, young children, and spending almost all of my vacation days volunteering, I’ve reached a point where I’m just plain tired.”
Lehfeldt included a section in his announcement in which he advocated being included in the enclosure.
“Fencing is for everyone,” Lehfeldt said. “Regardless of your race, religion, gender, gender identity or socio-economic background – this sport belongs to you. It’s not just a slogan for me; it is an obligation. And even with the challenges we have faced, I will continue to fight for a fencing community that is open, accessible and welcoming to all.”
Prior to 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 a post that went viral before the hearing, he responded to a question asking if he was “okay” with putting female fencers at a disadvantage with a simple, blunt answer: “Yes.”
So during the hearing, Lehfeldt admitted several times that he regretted answering that way and admitted that the question required a “more nuanced” answer.
At one point during the hearing, Lefheldt confessed to falsifying an email from a fictitious fence mother “Dorothy” who disagreed with him and called those members with similar views to “Dorothy” “big wizards” of the Ku Klux Klan.
“It was a poor attempt at humor,” Lehfeldt said.
WHO IS STEPHANIE TURNER? WOMEN KNEELING TO PROTEST TRANS RESISTANCE AND IGNITE GLOBAL AWARENESS
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., holds up a map of the United States 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 US Capitol, 02 May 07, Washington, DC. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
Rep. Rep. Tim Burhcett, R-Tenn., asked Lehfeldt if he would let his daughter fence against “a man.” Lehfeldt suggested he would allow it, while touting his organization’s security measures.
“As long as the competitor has met all the hormonal requirements and complies with the policy, I would be okay with that,” Lehfeldt said.
Turner previously told Pakinomist Digital after the hearing in May that she would work to lobby for leadership changes for USA Fencing after stepping away from the sport.
“I’m going to push for people to resign, to be honest. I’d like to see some people resign for the comments they’ve made, especially in public, those that are harassing and intended to humiliate concerned women, mothers and daughters,” Turner said.
USA Fencing’s board of directors voted to change its current policy priority states with LGBTQ-friendly laws for pageant hosting sites 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 entry policy in July to only allow female competitors to enter 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 Pakinomist Digital.
“USA Fencing proudly serves its members – athletes, coaches, referees and clubs – across our community with absolute transparency and integrity. This spinoff lawsuit misrepresents our organization and we will vigorously defend the organization in court; any attempt to disparage them will be dealt with appropriately,” the statement read.
“Because litigation is ongoing, we cannot discuss details. Our focus remains unwavering: promoting fencing nationally, supporting the success of every member and upholding the values of the Olympic and Paralympic movement.”
