One Pokémon TCG player has reportedly been suspended for addressing an alleged harassment incident that occurred during the Baltimore Regional Championships.
Competing in Pokémon tournaments can sometimes lead to uncomfortable situations, as experienced by TCG player Ihana Mazezka. It was reported that they faced suspension after calling out their opponent, Steven Lahlou, for allegedly misgendering them during their match, despite numerous corrections from the head judge.
On September 19, 2024, Ihana took to X to share their “upsetting experience” with Steven during the Baltimore Regionals. Ihana claimed that Steven misgendered them while addressing the head judge about a game-related issue.
“When the judge sent the Head Judge over, and my opponent finished explaining, I showed [Head Judge] my pin since I didn’t feel comfortable correcting Steven in this situation,” they stated.
The Head Judge corrected Steven regarding Ihana’s pronouns; however, he continued to use the incorrect pronouns “every time for the 6-7 instances” throughout the conversation, despite the interventions from the Head Judge.
Pokémon trainer Bonnie being shocked.
Ihana also mentioned that Steven explicitly told the Head Judge they were “a she” —suggesting an intent to mock the situation. According to Ihana’s partner, even after the match concluded in a tie, Steven continued to ridicule the pronoun matter when speaking with his friends.
After the incident, Ihana reported that the Head Judge would file a support ticket on their behalf and encouraged them to do the same. They noted that the Tournament Organizer had “apologized profusely” for the behavior witnessed during the event.
In the comments section of their post, Ihana expressed hope that “something bigger can change” to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Now, just a few weeks later, a user on X has provided an update regarding the situation. According to their post, it seems Ihana has been suspended by TCPI for calling out the alleged harassment. Many users voiced their outrage in the comments upon learning of this development.
“This is absolutely f***ing gross; anyone and everyone should be submitting a support ticket in support of Ihana,” one user commented.
“Absolutely absurd,” another added. “I’m sorry this happened; it’s horrible that informing the public of sh***y people is a suspension-worthy offense.”
Numerous users expressed confusion and hope that this decision would be reconsidered in light of Ihana’s experience.
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