Hall of Fame fencer Ivan Lee pleads guilty to sex offenses against female college fencer

Ivan Lee, a Hall-of-Fame fencer and the former board chairman for USA Fencing, has pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse in the third degree and one count of forcible touching-intimate parts, according to court records in New York.

The offenses, both misdemeanors, were committed in 2023 against a female collegiate fencer Lee coached, according to court records.

The guilty pleas were entered Wednesday at Nassau County District Court in New York the same day a jury trial was scheduled to begin.

Lee, 43, also pleaded guilty Sept. 3 at Kings County Criminal Court in Brooklyn to one count of forcible touching-intimate parts, a misdemeanor, and harassment in the second degree — physical contact, a non-criminal violation of New York law. The offenses were committed during a second incident in 2023 against the same collegiate fencer, according to the court records.

“She spoke truth to power here--to a grown man who was the Chairman of USA Fencing, a coach, and a former Olympian and police officer,’’ Jack Wiener, the complaintant's attorney, said in a statement, which noted he represented the woman pro bono. “She came forward to protect others who follow her from suffering the same fate.’’

Lee was the first man of African American descent to win a world fencing championship, according to USA Fencing. He also won two Division I national championships at St. John’s, earned two gold medals at the 2003 Pan Am Games and competed at the 2004 Olympics.

In 2014, he was inducted into the US Fencing Association Hall of Fame.

Elected board chairman of USA Fencing in September 2023, Lee resigned three months later after the organization suspended him for a violation of SafeSport Code. The U.S. Center for SafeSport, funded by Congress, is tasked with protecting young athletes from misconduct.

Earlier in that same month, Lee resigned as head coach of the women’s fencing team at Long Island University.

He worked for the New York City Police Department from 2008 to 2022 before focusing on coaching the men’s and women’s teams at Long Island University. He was serving in his capacity as head coach when the incidents were committed against the complaintant, according to court records.

On Nov. 8, 2023, while there were no teammates around, Lee placed his hands on the complainant’s chest without her consent, made a comment about her thighs, stating in sum and substance “I love your thighs,’’ and began kissing the complainant’s neck, according to a court filing from the Nassau County District Attorney’s office.

On Nov. 21, in a second incident, Lee took the complainant to a seafood restaurant after practice, according to the same court filing. Lee placed his hand on the center of the women’s chest and squeezed her breasts over her clothing without her consent.

“Lee has demonstrated a repeated course of conduct against the complainant, preying on her vulnerability as the trainee of a skilled coach on whom she relies,’’ the court filing states.

Lee was arrested in Brooklyn Feb. 26 in connection with the first incident and arrested March 21 in Nassau County in connection with the second incident.

He is scheduled for a sentencing hearing at Kings County Criminal Court Jan. 14 and for another sentencing hearing at Nassau County District Court Feb. 19. Sexual abuse in the third degree and forcible touching-intimate parts each carry a maximum sentence of one year in jail, according to New York law.

Wiener said SafeSport still has to conclude its investigation, which was put on hold after Lee was criminally charged.

"I would hope that, under the circumstances, SafeSport would see a permanent SafeSport ban as appropriate, in order to protect other young women in the future,'' Wiener said.

(This story has been updated with new information.)

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ex-US Olympic fencer Ivan Lee pleads guilty to sexual abuse charges