CRONYISM IN THE CISS

From: DEAFSPORTLAWSUIT - May 4, 2003

CRONYISM IN THE CISS

Read the contents of the following letter this website received from one of its readers:

"Dear Mr. Pinkhasov Pinchas,

I would like to tell you that I am very impressed with your outspokenness, courage and openness by trying to do, as I see,  the things for betterment and advancement of the deaf sports cause  unselfishly and voluntarily, that is, without getting any compensation and benefits. As I see,  unlike the other deaf leaders, you have innate talent and skills as a multilinguist and  international deaf sports expert, including you are an authority on the history of the CISS and Deaflympics.  However, your lawsuit opponents  and rivals see all this differently by not appreciating all the good things you are attempting to do to our deaf cause. All deaf leaders and sports lovers should still notice and appreciate your immense, valuable, innovative and unique contribution to our deaf world.

I write to you because I am  very shocked to learn that the CISS organization is managed by the incompetent deaf leaders who do not  strictly and responsibly observe the organization's rules and regulations.

I have some questions for you and I would like to receive your comments on these.

First, how were these incompetent CISS leaders elected? Were there other candidates to challenge them?

Second, please look at  the story titled TRACK AND FIELD HEAD COACH WANTED which you may find by logging on to www.usadsf.org/news/archives/USADSF_trackcoach.doc  This story mentions that Tiffany Granfors is the person as the USA Track and Field for the Deaf Federation Secretary  to receive application forms for the vacant USA Track and Field Head Coach position for the coming 2005 Deaflympics by June 15, 2003. I understand that Miss Granfors is also working in  the CISS Home Office in Frederick, Maryland. Is it appropriate for that person to hold the two different positions at the same time: international ( in the CISS as its assistant  to the CISS Secretary General ) and national ( in the USA Track and Field for the Deaf organization  as its Secretary )?

Third, with much interest and concern I read your story titled  2003 CISS CONGRESS AND DEAFLYMPIC WINTER GAMES: WHAT WENT WRONG IN SUNDSVALL. I am interested to know whether the USA team members returned all the medals you claim  they won illegally in Sundsvall recently? Also, why did the deaf sports leaders from other countries do nothing when  the CISS President, for example, awarded, as you alleged, in clear violation of the CISS rule, the gold, silver and bronze medals to the winners in the women's snowboarding half-pipe event in Sundsvall when this event attracted only three competitors and from just one country - the USA? I am asking you these questions because I have not seen any rebuttal or public response on your charges by either the CISS or USADSF officials anywhere yet."

Here is Mr. Pinkhasov Pinchas' answer:

Well, I will attempt my best to express my comments on these  questions, which I hope will eventually help to awaken up some responsible sports leaders to do something by restoring  LAW and ORDER inside the organization of the CISS one day soon.

First, during the last CISS Congress election session held in 2001, all six office positions for the CISS Executive Committee went uncontested, that is, each candidate for each position was "elected" unopposed. Of these six positions, the three candidates ( or, 50% ! ) for the offices of President, Secretary General and Member  were ineligible to run for these elective positions at all. In spite of these, these three candidates still "got elected."  Because their respective national sports associations failed to meet  the full payment of  their CISS membership dues, before the start of the election session,  the candidates, for example, for the offices of President and Secretary General were illegally and unconstitutionally elected!

Second, since January, 2001, Miss Granfors has, as far as I know,  been working as an administrative aide in the CISS Home Office. Although she is a diligent worker, she  still has a long road to learn the art of international sports administration, management and business. An example of Miss Granfors' inadequacy and inexperience in this field is that in  the late part of 2001, for instance, Miss Granfors  along with her office supervisor, Miss Ammons, was involved  with the preparation of the 208-paged and 556-mistakes-filled book publication dedicated to the final results of the XIXth Deaflympic Summer Games  held in Rome, Italy.

What is more, did you know of the fact that the relocation of the CISS headquarters  - the CISS Home Office - to the state of Maryland, USA, in 2001, and again in 2002, was  done in violation of the CISS Constitution Rules 10.2.7 and 10.2.7.11? Such a CISS Home Office  was opened by the CISS anarchists - Miss Ammons and Mr. Lovett - without prior permission and consent of the CISS Congress delegates!

How and why was Miss Granfors picked for the CISS job?

As I was told by Miss Ammons before, that Miss Ammons is a family friend of Miss Granfors' deaf parents ( I believe, if my memory does not betray me, their surnames are Mr. and Mrs.Williams ) and that she knows Miss Granfors since she was a young girl and that Miss Granfors, like Miss Ammons, is a graduate of the same Maryland School for the Deaf.

Therefore, Miss Granfors, a clear favorite and crony of Miss Ammons,  as you now see and realize, was predeterminedly and biasedly hired  by Miss Ammons for the CISS job. In addition, I received the information that Miss Ammons is still dreaming to see  Miss Granfors, her "own person", to be appointed  for the full-time, paid and non-voting position of the CISS Secretary General one day soon.

However, I do also know that Miss Granfors is still involved  with the USA Deaf Track and Field ( or Athletics )  Federation organization as its Secretary.  Before hiring Miss Granfors for the CISS job, Miss Ammons did not scrutinize applicant's credentials for the job, did she?

In any case,  I deem it improper and  unethical for that same person to hold both positions  -  international and national - at the same time.

It is simply  a conflict of interest!

Ask, for example,  any reputable international sports organization - like the IOC or IPC  - whether they employ any individual who works in their respective international organization, on the one side, and occupy an office position in their respective national organization, on the other side, at the same time?

My above comments are not the first time, which indicate Miss Ammons' engagement with her covert acts of favoritism or cronyism in the CISS.

The most notable act of cronyism inside the CISS structure by Miss Ammons, if many of you may recall, took place in the summer of 2001.

By ignoring and violating  the basic deaf sport administration rules, Miss Ammons handpicked ( with the tacit consent of Mr. Lovett, the unconstitutionally-elected CISS President  and her another undisputable crony ) Miss Vicki White, her one-time residence roommate and long-time confidant, as the CISS Technical Director in Athletics during the XIXth Deaflympic Summer Games in 2001.

What was highly-questionable  and unusual of Miss White's appointment as the CISS Technical Director at  the Games was that Miss White was  a HEARING and NON-DEAF PERSON!

Again, I view the above acts of cronyism by Miss Ammons as another conflict of interest!

Thirdly, I have no idea whether the responsible CISS officials have taken appropriate action  regarding the many violations committed by their leaders-anarchists Miss Ammons and Mr. Lovett  in Sundsvall. My very important story related to this very sensitive subject was released to the world on March 9, 2003 and you may still review it by logging on to

www.deafsportlawsuit.com/update30.html

I also have no idea as to why the responsible deaf sports leaders from other countries, especially from the USA and Europe, are remaining idle and lukewarm with the continually autocratic and anarchical work by Miss Ammons and Mr. Lovett in the organization of the CISS. Is not it sad to see these deaf national leaders' utter indifference, cowardice and apathy when they do nothing against these deaf anarchists and autocrats?

I will now let you see and judge by yourself whether or not the CISS and its certain officials maintain a  biased and double-standard ( or two-faced ) policy towards other athletes and countries.

Not many of you knew of the very unpleasant incident happened with one female athlete from the Czech Republic Miss Pavlina Malerova some 6 years ago.

At the XVIIIth Deaflympic Summer Games held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in July,1997,  Miss Malerova confidently won two gold medals in the shot put and discus events. For her accomplishment at these Games, by returning  home as a heroine, she, consequently,  was accorded the "red-carpet treatment" by  her folks there.

However, some two months later after the end of the Games, that is, in the late part of September, 1997, all of a sudden, the CISS led by its then legally-elected officials - Mr. Lovett and Miss Ammons informed the deaf Czech sports officials that Miss Malerova violated a certain rule in the CISS legal system. Therefore, she was forcibly stripped of the two gold medals she earned at the Copenhagen Games.

Through Mr.Vojtech Volejnik, a CISS Executive Committee Member from the Czech Republic, Miss Malerova was instructed to return the medals to the CISS. In her place, the top 1997 Games titles were awarded to Miss Evelina Frydynski of Poland ( shot put ) and Miss Heli Pylkannen of Finland ( discus ).

Next, let me randomly demonstrate another incident and facts which happened recently during the Deaflympic Winter Games in Sundsvall.

Women's snowboarding half-pipe event

Number of competitors entered: 3
Number of nations competed: 1

Final Results:

1. Sheila de Lao USA
2. Marina Lavelle USA
3. Nicole Lanning USA

The recently-revised Deaflympic Games Regulations Rule 7. E definition: "in order  to declare sports and event as an official full medal  sports/event of the Games, there must be athletes coming from at least 5 countries and from at least 2 regions competing".

Did the above-mentioned snowboarding half-pipe event in Sundsvall  meet the criteria of the Rule 7.E?

The obvious answer is a big NO!

But, in spite of the above rule requirement violation,  the CISS anarchists Mr. Lovett and Miss Ammons - by committing a tort or legal wrong - still went on to award  the gold, silver and bronze medals to the above-named athletes from the USA  before a large crowd audience during the colorful March 8, 2003 Medal Ceremony festivities in Sundsvall.

Now, how about instructing Miss Ammons, an illegitimately-elected CISS Executive Member from the USA, to perform  the same task as Mr.Volejnik  unpleasantly did in 1997, that is, by collecting the return of medals from  the USA athletes, who received them in Sundsvall in spite of the clear fact that they all violated  the CISS Constitution Rule 8.2 and/or  Deaflympic Games Regulations, Rule 7.E?

And how many of you knew, for instance, of the fact that one of the above-named three snowboarders from the USA - Marina Lavelle - was associated, like Miss Granfors, with Miss Ammons in her CISS office as a part-time employee or volunteer in 2000 or 2001? Is it still emotionally difficult for Miss Ammons to request  her another favorite or crony, Miss Lavelle, to return the silver medal she illegitimately earned in Sundsvall recently?

Picture a hypothetically opposing scene:

The year of 1996, Washington, D.C., USA,  Pavlina Malerova as a Gallaudet University student works part-time in the CISS Secretariat office under Miss Ammons;
The year of 1997, Miss Malerova wins medals at the Deaflympic Summer Games and then,  later on, she is caught as a CISS rule violator.

How would Miss Ammons, a CISS Secretary General, have treated Miss Malerova in 1997? Would  Miss Ammons have, unlike she did and still does to Miss Lavelle in 2003, demanded  Miss Malerova, her CISS         ex-office worker, to return the medals?

Now, you may see and realize as to what kind of politics and hypocrisy  the self-named "fighters"  and "advocates" for just and equal rights of the deaf people everywhere -  Miss Ammons and Mr. Lovett - play in the CISS establishment!

And you see how these two deaf anarchists continue to clowningly showcase themselves in front of the whole world as the "successful, law-abiding and competent deaf international sports leaders!"

In spite of all the foregoing, for how long will lawlessness and disorder, cronyism and favoritism, injustice and inequality last in the organization of the CISS?

Sportingly Yours,

Rafael Pinkhasov Pinchas

POSTCRIPTUM. In May, 1994, the campus of  Gallaudet University witnessed one of its very special moments in its long history: Mr. Bill Clinton, the then USA President received along with Mr. Jerald Jordan, a former Gallaudet University employee and one of defendants in my still-ongoing lawsuit case, the honorary doctorate degree. Could it be possible that Mr. Jordan, the then outgoing CISS President - by leaving the organization of the CISS in its state of financial impoverishment and stagnation - received such a honorary degree through the act of cronyism?

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