As per the USCF bylaws, this is a recall petition authorizing the USCF to issue a recall vote of Sam Sloan seeking his removal from the USCF Executive Board as soon as feasible based upon numerous violations of the USCF Executive Board Standards of Conduct.

Mr. Sloan has brought much turmoil to the Executive Board, USCF members, and the USCF organization and very little in terms of positive actions to improve chess for the USCF chess player.  His disregard for the Standards of Conduct for the USCF Executive Board is a major disruption to the business of the USCF.  It is unacceptable and a complete disservice to every USCF member.  The potential financial liability to the USCF escalates daily due to Mr. Sloan’s business persona of making baseless charges first and checking facts later. 

Executive Board members have wasted inordinate amounts of time responding to personal attacks, baseless accusations, and demands made by Mr. Sloan.  Obviously, Mr. Sloan lacks the necessary people skills in order to work with the employees of the USCF and the Executive Board.  His actions constantly create animosity and needless expense of USCF resources.  The USCF Executive Board and USCF employees need to be able to focus their energy in a much more positive fashion on the future of the USCF if it is going to survive, grow, and prosper.  They will not be able to do so as long as Mr. Sloan is a member of the USCF Executive Board.

Part of the difficulty in creating this petition stems from the fact that new issues constantly arise due to the way Mr. Sloan chooses to do business.  One only needs to view the Executive Board BINFO’s (https://secure.uschess.org/binfo/) and USCF Issues Forum under USCF Forums (www.uschess.org/forums) to see that just as one issue subsides, another surfaces.    

The reasons for the recall follow:  (Bold references are quotes from the Standards of Conduct for the USCF Executive Board).

Members of the USCF Executive Board have responsibilities of the highest order for the promotion of chess and for stewardship of the resources of the USCF.  In the execution of these responsibilities, they are expected to act lawfully and in accordance with USCF policy, and to adhere consistently to the principles of fairness, honesty, and respect for the rights of others.

Numerous comments have been made by Mr. Sloan on the USCF Forums and in the USCF BINFO’s attacking the integrity of several USCF members.  There have been baseless accusations made against USCF members of destroying USCF financial records, of withholding information provided to other board members, of re-rating events for political reasons, of hiring an employee as the result of a political deal.  Several comments have been libelous in nature.  The continuous flow of reckless comments by an Executive Board member puts the USCF in a position of constant unnecessary risk of a libel, slander, or harassment lawsuit.

Mr. Sloan had also posted a picture of Susan Polgar on his personal website without the express authorization of Ms. Polgar or Paul Truong who had taken the picture.  Several requests were made by Ms. Polgar, Mr. Truong, numerous USCF members, and USCF Executive Board Members that Mr. Sloan remove said picture from his website if for no other reason than to promote goodwill between the USCF and the Polgar Foundation.  Mr. Sloan refused.  This resulted in the USCF paying for a legal opinion regarding the potential liability to the USCF for items published on Mr. Sloan’s personal website since he is a member of the USCF Executive Board.   

Soon after the attorney’s legal opinion was received, Mr. Sloan removed the picture of Susan Polgar from the home page of his website.  Also, in response to the legal opinion, Mr. Sloan posted the following on the USCF Forum:

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 3:35 pm    Post subject: Re: Legal threats from Polgar and Truong

…

Regarding issuing a disclaimer, I am more than willing to post on my website and in my emails and newsgroup postings the standard disclaimer that the opinions expressed are my own and are not to be confused with the official position of the USCF or its Board.


Sam Sloan

As of November 12, 2006, this disclaimer has not appeared on Mr. Sloan’s website in any prominent fashion, if at all.  This is an ongoing concern due to the numerous inappropriate – “mature audience only” or potentially libelous - postings that exist on Mr. Sloan’s personal website and the potential extended liability to the USCF. 

The USCF has already lost USCF members due to Mr. Sloan’s ratification to the Executive Board.  Leaders of scholastic organizations have protested due to the inappropriate material on Mr. Sloan’s personal website.  Mr. Sloan has chosen not to delete this material contrary to the impression that was given at the delegates meeting in August. 

Instead of promoting chess, Mr. Sloan’s actions have forced the USCF to utilize its limited resources to protect itself from potential financial liability and damage to its credibility as a reputable organization.

A Board member should not pressure any USCF employee by means of stated or implied threats to employment. Specific criticism of other USCF employees should be conveyed discreetly to the Executive Director.

The Executive Board is responsible for conducting business in an efficient, constructive, and open manner.

Executive Board members must respect the dignity of all persons in all statements and actions.

Mr. Sloan consistently browbeats others…  (BINFO #200603484 dated 9/9/06) … "If the ad was free, heads will roll.”  This is just one example of the type of comments made by Mr. Sloan.  Instead of requesting information or explanations for actions from employees, Mr. Sloan makes demands and utilizes intimidation.  This does not create a sense of co-operation within the USCF and instead only creates unnecessary tension.

In BINFO’s #200603900 and #200603908 dated 10/25/06, there is a discussion concerning a complaint from a USCF employee about receiving a copy of a harassing email from Mr. Sloan criticizing her work performance.  In one of these emails, his comment is “…there is no choice but to replace her.”  Mr. Sloan has made an implied threat to her employment, openly criticized a USCF employee, and discussed her financial compensation figures in a format that he intended to become public.  Mr. Sloan does not seem to accept that some issues are confidential or that he is required to communicate through the Executive Director. 

At the end of BINFO #200603790 dated 10/12/06 in response to a request for an Executive Board vote – in which Mr. Sloan did not respond in the affirmative or negative - the following quote by Mr. Sloan sums it all up:  “Frankly, I think that you guys are really stupid.”

On November 12, 2006, Mr. Sloan started a series of posts on the USCF Forums questioning payments made to individuals in 2003.  If Mr. Sloan was truly concerned about receiving accurate answers to his questions, these inquiries could have been made to the USCF Executive Director directly and if Mr. Sloan was then not satisfied with the responses, Mr. Sloan would have had the opportunity to then raise the questions at the Executive Board meeting on November 18.  Mr. Sloan’s constant inferences of impropriety without factual basis and disclosure of compensation paid to individuals in a public forum shows a total lack of professionalism and can no longer be tolerated.

It is with regret that the delegates have been forced to pursue this petition route.  Several attempts have been made to work with Mr. Sloan.  However as time continues, instead of becoming more co-operative, his behavior has increasingly become more combative.  Inaction on the part of the delegates would only allow Mr. Sloan to believe that he can continue said bad behavior with impunity and put the USCF at further risk of damage to its reputation and financial position. 

It is our sincere belief that many of the USCF members who voted for Mr. Sloan did not have full knowledge of Mr. Sloan’s way of doing business and that if given the opportunity to change their votes knowing what they know now, that many would do so.  This petition will enable the USCF membership to decide the future course of their organization by allowing a recall vote to take place as soon as feasible in accordance with the bylaws of the USCF.


Signed By:

                                                                                                            Date:                          

 

 

                                                                                               

(Name of Delegate – Printed)

 

 

Delegate of:                                                                          

                        (Name of State)