This charge is utterly false. Nothing of the kind occurred.
Significantly, Redman does not claim that the girl herself made the claim. Redman says: "I have heard indirectly from two members of our chess teams in Parsippany that Sam Sloan sexually harassed our fourth-board player, Karen Birkedahl, before their game."
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I posted on my website several pictures of Karen which she gave me following her sensational results at the 1999 US Open in Reno. Tim Redman, on the other hand, apparently does not know her at all and met her for the first time recently when she enrolled as a student in the University of Texas at Dallas where he is a professor. How does he know that Karen wants her name posted on the chess newsgroups in this way?
It seems likely that Redman is confused, because someone has reported that an opponent of Jennie Frenklakh proposed to Jennie during their game.
A charge of sexual harassment is extremely serious and is not to be taken lightly. Tim Redman, as USCF President, should not be making such a charge unless he is sure of his facts. The actual facts are that I had a brief conversation with Karen Birkedahl just before our chess game. I asked if I could take her picture and she agreed. We played the game and nothing further was said except when she resigned.
At the National Open Chess Championship in Las Vegas this past weekend, I had several friendly conversations with both the mother and the sister of Karen Birkedahl. I also took their picture. I did notice that Karen herself seemed to be avoiding me, but I had no idea why.
The reason is now obvious, because it is clear that Redman himself or some person affiliated with him must have confronted Karen over this.
Whenever a charge of sexual harassment is made by a woman against a man, the charge almost invariably rebounds unfavorably against the woman. For this reason, women are often reluctant to bring such a charge even when it is well based.
This makes it especially objectionable for Tim Redman, a known homosexual, to make such a charge on a public news forum, apparently without asking the woman in question, although he was the captain of her chess team and he is a professor at the college where she is a student.
This is an extremely delicate matter. I obviously cannot ignore this but I must be careful about what I say and what I do not say.
One reader has commented: "I think it disgraceful what Tim is doing to get people to forget about your important charges which they have so far failed to counter."
Sam Sloan
http://www.samsloan.com/chess.htm
The full text of what Redman wrote follows:
Subject: Re: The Spyware Infested Software List
On Mon, 05 Mar 2001 11:42:48 -0800, in rec.games.chess.politics Tim Redman
Dear Tom,
I have heard from a member of the Ethics Committee that they have accepted my complaint.
In the meantime I have heard indirectly from two members of our chess teams in Parsippany that Sam Sloan sexually harassed our fourth-board player, Karen Birkedahl, before their game. He even asked her to marry him. Karen is an extremely level-headed person and took it in her stride, but can you imagine the effect Mr. Sloan has on other players, especially young women who are playing in their first tournament?
Cordially,
Tim
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Tim Redman
(972) 883-2775 (o)
School of Arts and Humanities, JO 31
University of Texas at Dallas
P.O. Box 830688
Richardson, TX 75083-0688
(972) 883-2989 (fax)
Here are links:
Contact address - please send e-mail to the following address: Sloan@ishipress.com