Thankful for the opportunity and disappointed in some of what transpired, a former high schooler in North Carolina injured in a girls volleyball match by a boy on the opposing team testified for a congressional subcommittee on Wednesday evening in Washington.
Athletes Payton McNabb and Stephanie Turner joined two others as witnesses for the Oversight Committee’s Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency in the U.S. House of Representatives. “Unfair Play: Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” as the hearing was entitled, also included Damien Lehfeldt, chairman of the board for USA Fencing; and Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO at the National Women’s Law Center.
Coming up on three years since the career-ending injury for the three-sport standout at Hiwassee Dam High, McNabb said she still has severe headaches, balance issues and vision impairment. “And as my parents say, I’m just not the same kid,” she said.
“It is completely aggravating because the injury I suffered was 100% avoidable if only my rights as a female athlete had been more important than a man’s feelings,” the ambassador for the Independent Women’s Forum said.
Chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., opened the session with a statement and video play. It included the White House executive order keeping men out of women’s sports, video of the 31-year-old Turner taking a knee rather than fencing a man on March 30, plus reels of males in female competitions of track, swimming, weight lifting and wrestling.
After the video played, Greene said, “That is sick.”
And added, “Why is this happening when we have laws on the books to foster women’s sports?”
She said the subcommittee’s relation to the issue related to national governing bodies, such as USA Fencing.
In a video posting with the White House as the background, McNabb said afterward, “It was sad and disappointing to see how the Democrats reacted to it, basically dehumanizing it, belittling it, and acting like it is not happening. But, it is. It was sad to see.
“I am thankful for Republicans, and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene for having the hearing today so that I can share my story about why standing up for women and girls is so important.”
The Center Square was unsuccessful getting comment from McNabb afterward.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., fought with Greene throughout the hearing. Her contributions to the three hours were consistently on topics other than the stated purpose; her motion to adjourn in the opening three minutes failed.
“It’s about bullying trans kids and members of the trans community to distract from the failed policies of the Trump administration, the failed policies and exploitation of this DOGE subcommittee, and the GOP’s own cruel agenda happening right now on Capitol Hill,” Stansbury said.
She said the subcommittee is totally irrelevant.
Republicans present said otherwise. Members of both parties spent more time giving statements in their allotted five minutes than hearing responses. Republican questions to Goss Graves and Lehfeldt were more “yes or no” style; Democrats on the panel asked nothing of McNabb and Turner, arguably a solidarity move on what they believed was relevance for the hearing.
Responding to a question from Missouri Republican Rep. Eric Burlison, McNabb said, “It was 100% avoidable and completely changed my life. That was the last day. It’s so sad.
“I’ve had to navigate my new normal. Although I make look like I’m doing better on the outside, I’ll never be the same.”
