Pokemon TCG player allegedly suspended for calling out harassment

As a seasoned player in the Pokemon TCG community who has faced my fair share of challenges and triumphs, I find myself deeply saddened and disappointed by the recent events involving Ihana Mazezka and Steven Lahlou at the Baltimore Regional Championships.


A participant in the Pokémon Trading Card Game competition was reportedly suspended following a post they made, which brought attention to an alleged instance of harassment that occurred at the Baltimore Regional Championships.

During a Pokemon card game tournament, occasional mishaps may occur between competing players. Yet, for TCG player Ihana Mazezka, these setbacks led to a suspension. This was because they persistently accused their opponent of harassment and refused to respect their correct gender pronouns, despite the head judge’s repeated corrections.

On September 19, 2024, Ihana shared publicly about an uncomfortable encounter they had with competitor Steven Lahlou during the Baltimore Regionals, through a post on platform X. They alleged that Steven inadvertently used the wrong pronoun when he contacted a judge to rectify an error.

In the heat of the gaming session, when the referee assigned the Lead Referee to handle things, and after my rival had his say, I demonstrated my token to the Lead Referee, as I wasn’t confident about correcting Steven in that specific circumstance.

After being informed about Ihana’s correct pronouns by the Head Judge, he persisted in using incorrect ones repeatedly. The Head Judge felt compelled to rectify his errors “on several occasions,” approximately six or seven times, during their ongoing discussion.

Pokemon TCG player allegedly suspended for calling out harassment

Apart from what was said, it’s noted that Steven had informed the Head Judge that they were “a she” – it seemed like a joke or a way to make light of the situation. After the match ended in a tie, he continued to jest about the pronoun matter when speaking with his friends, according to Ihana’s partner’s account.

After this incident, Ihana shared that the Head Judge indicated they would file a help ticket on their behalf and encouraged them to do the same. Furthermore, it was noted that the Tournament Organizer expressed deep regret.

In their final thoughts, as expressed in the comments, they expressed a desire for “a significant shift” to occur, so as to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future.

A while ago, a user on platform X provided an update about a turn of events. As per their recent post, it appears that Ihana has been temporarily banned by TCPI due to her post addressing the alleged harassment. This news has sparked anger and dismay among numerous users commenting on the matter.

One individual expressed strong disapproval, stating that this situation is extremely unpleasant; they urged everyone to submit a support request in favor of Ihana.

One person remarked, “This is completely unbelievable.” Another added, “It’s regrettable that exposing unscrupulous individuals can lead to a punishment as severe as suspension.

Many were also baffled and hoped this decision would be reconsidered following Ihana’s situation.

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2024-10-04 09:48