Wagner College has reached a resolution with the U.S. Department of Education to address issues surrounding biologically male trans athletes in women’s sports, following a highly publicized incident involving female fencer Stephanie Turner. Officials announced the agreement on Friday, citing a viral event where Turner kneeled to protest the participation of trans fencer Redmond Sullivan at a USA Fencing competition.
The U.S. Department of Education announced that Wagner has agreed to apologize to its female athletes who competed against Sullivan, as well as to adopt new policies defining gender based on biological criteria. This settlement is part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to implement policies on gender eligibility in collegiate athletics. The agreement comes as part of an ongoing Title IX investigation, which was initiated after Turner’s protest action.
Footage of Turner kneeling toward Sullivan during the Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland went viral in early April. Turner was given a black card, the harshest penalty in the sport, and was disqualified from the event and placed on a 12-month probation. Sullivan, who did not represent Wagner at the event, was later removed from the fencing team by the college. The NCAA had already changed its gender eligibility policy to comply with Trump’s executive order on the issue in early February.