Ethics investigation called for in the East

The situation in ski racing’s Eastern Division has gotten personal. A call has been issued for USSA’s Judicial and the Alpine Competition Committee to consider terminating the membership of the sitting chairman and former vice-chairman of the Eastern ACC for violations of the EACC by-laws and the USSA Conflict of Interest and Ethics Policy.

A letter to the Judicial and Ethics committees via USSA President and CEO Bill Marolt from Ted Sutton – a long time and honored race official from New Hamsphire –  reports two “significant procedural deviations” from the EACC by-laws occured during the April 19 and 20, 2013 meeting. First a meeting of the childrens committee and the development committee were held behind closed doors in a violation of the by-laws. Secondly, the Sutton letter says, the elections held for the chairmanship and vice-chair of the EACC included proxy votes, also in violation of the by-laws.

“The outcomes of the elections were announced but the numbers of the votes received by the candidates were not presented, preventing an understanding of the impact of the Chairs disregard of the organization’s election procedures.”

The letter further noted chairman Webster reported her state, New York, and Vermont, represented by Julie Woodworth, had issued press releases, “announcing the formation of a new organization to govern youth ski racing in their respective states.”

That, said Sutton, indicated Webster and Woodworth had “violated the opening paragraphs, as well as paragraphs 1,3,4,6,7,9,12 and 15 by their affiliation with a competing organization and their non-disclosure of said relationship.”

Sutton called for an investigation into these allegations by the Judicial Committee and the ASC Committee “to determine if there are sufficient grounds to terminate the membership of these indivduals.”

Sutton’s letter was supported in writing by the Tri-State, Pennslyvania and Southern boards of the Eastern Region of USSA.