USA Fencing is deeply disturbed by a recent live Zoom session with U.S. National Team members, where an attendee directly aggressively targeted one of our Olympic athletes, Nzingha Prescod, and a staff member, Brandon Dyett, with racist and offensive language. We sincerely apologize to both of them for not being better prepared to protect them from these attacks. No athlete or staff member should have to endure this type of treatment and no one should ever be subjected to such reprehensible behavior. The individuals who perpetrated these disgusting acts are not representative of USA Fencing and this behavior is not welcome nor will it be tolerated.

While we understand that the damage and hurt from this incident cannot be undone, we are committed to better protecting our athletes and membership from unacceptable acts and repulsive behavior going forward. Now more than ever, USA Fencing is dedicated to refocusing our efforts on diversity and inclusion to create a safe and positive environment for everyone in the fencing community.