USCF lawsuit

[Hugh Brodie]

Does anyone know what the lawsuit was about? Should the CFC take note?

"Dear US Chess Member:

In our on-going efforts to professionalize US Chess operations, the Executive Board has adopted Membership Terms and Conditions that will be part of the process for new and renewing memberships. The Membership Terms and Conditions roll up the many existing policies governing US Chess membership and practices into a single place, reminding our members of their responsibilities and rights as members of US Chess. The Terms and Conditions will serve as a regular reminder to you that there are fundamental responsibilities inherent in membership.

Collectively referred to as US Chess Rules , the policies covered under the Membership Terms and Conditions include adherence to

- the Rules of Chess ,

- the US Chess Code of Ethics ,

- the US Chess Articles of Incorporation ,

- the US Chess Bylaws , and

- other policies and procedures that are adopted from time to time. (e.g. conflict of interest policy).

The full Terms and Conditions are available on uschess.org and to people joining or renewing membership online.

Consenting to an organization s policies is a routine matter for membership organizations, products you purchase, and services you receive. The US Chess Membership Terms and Conditions are akin to checking the box on a software license or agreeing to accept the risks inherent in your ski vacation.

In addition to the reasons stated above, the US Chess Membership Terms and Conditions also were triggered by a lawsuit, challenging an Executive Board decision that upheld an earlier Ethics Committee decision. The lawsuit was filed in small claims court, far from either our Crossville base or state of incorporation (Illinois). The disposition of the case was favorable to US Chess (i.e. it was dismissed) but the lawsuit accrued unnecessary legal expenses and took significant time away from the regular business of US Chess. The US Chess Membership Terms and Conditions are now explicit about member rights and responsibilities, including where any lawsuits against US Chess should be filed.

We know that change is not always easy to embrace but the launching of the US Chess Membership Terms and Conditions is an appropriate step to manage our risk while clearly articulating our organizational responsibilities for the good of chess.

Best regards,

Carol B. Meyer

Executive Director (for the Executive Board)"

[Wayne Komer]

USCF Lawsuit

July 11, 2020

The following was written by George Khoury in May 2017


The United States Chess Federation was recently sued by a group of angry parents who alleged the organization was discriminating against their children. No, this had nothing to do with the white pieces always going first, but rather, the parents allege discrimination for their children being homeschooled. While homeschooling does not necessarily entitle a person to protection from discrimination, if there is a religious reason behind the decision to homeschool, that could amount to religious discrimination.

The lawsuit came about after the US Chess Federation (USCF) refused to allow a team of home schooled kids to participate in their "Super-Nationals" tournament this coming weekend. Last year, USCF disqualified one member of the same team of homeschooled children from a non-super national chess competition over a minor rules violation raised by a competing team's coach (that also happened to be a USCF board member). Due to the rules violation, the team dropped from 3rd to 9th place.

Grand Master Behaving Badly?

The USCF supported the disqualification on the basis that one of the team's members, if not homeschooled, would have attended a different school than the other team members. The USCF's rules are rather vague, but arguably supported disqualification on this point. However, after the disqualification, and prior to this weekend's "Super-Nationals" competition, the child who lived outside the school district actually moved, along with his parents, into the same district as his team members.

Nevertheless, last month, the USCF denied the team's appeal to be allowed to compete this weekend. That's when the parents decided to file a lawsuit, as there was no good explanation why their children were being denied the opportunity to compete after satisfying the rules' requirements. The lawsuit contains rather harsh allegations that the USCF arbitrarily enforced its rules to the detriment of children who are homeschooled due to their parents' religious convictions.

However, reviewing the roster for the Blitz K-9 section of this weekend's "Super Nationals" tournament reveals that children with the same initials from the lawsuit and last names of the parents involved in the lawsuit are registered to participate. This coupled with the fact that a request for a voluntary dismissal was filed yesterday means that the case very likely settled, or minimally, the parents dropped it after getting what they wanted.

https://blogs.findlaw.com/law_and_life/2017/05/us-chess-federation-sued-for-homeschool-discrimination-ahead-of-super-nationals.html#sthash.s60QXDTT.dpuf

[Hugh Brodie]

Is the lawsuit referred to in the 2020 document the one from 2017....or a different one?

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