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A US Masters Swimming (USMS) competitor, Angie Griffin, told Pak Gazette Digital that a complaint has been filed against her for calling a trans athlete “a man” on a league community forum.
USMS has confirmed that a competitor has filed a complaint.
“US Masters Swimming does not comment on individual member matters, including complaints or disciplinary processes,” the organization said in a statement to Pak Gazette Digital. “We can confirm that an individual member, not US Masters Swimming, has made a complaint related to the USMS Code of Conduct. As with all such matters, it is being handled in accordance with our established review processes.”
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Griffin has been open about competing at USMS against a biological trans male athlete since May 2025, when he told Pak Gazette Digital that he faced a trans competitor at a competition in San Antonio, but didn’t even know the athlete’s birth sex until after the event.
Now, he claims the complaint could cost him all of his USMS records.
“They can possibly take away all of my times, any kind of recognition that I’ve had and possibly just take me out of the US Masters, for expressing an opinion and, honestly, for expressing a fact,” Griffin told Pak Gazette Digital this week.
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Griffin said he has now hired representation as he tries to fight the complaint.
“I tried to file a motion to dismiss it, giving evidence that he had not been bullying anyone online, that he had simply posted facts that were available for anyone to find,” he added.
After USMS updated its gender eligibility policy last June to restrict biological males from competing in women’s events, the organization updated its policy again in February to comply with state and local nondiscrimination laws, primarily addressing the men’s/open category, which is open to all competitors regardless of birth sex.
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A swimmer competes in the women’s 200m breaststroke during the 15th FINA World Masters Championships at Parc Jean-Drapeau on August 8, 2014, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
“All members who select the male/open category are eligible for National Recognition Programs in the male/open category, regardless of sex, gender, or gender identity/expression,” the new policy states.
“All members who select the male/open category are eligible for Local Recognition Programs in the male/open category, regardless of sex, gender, or gender identity/expression.”
