SLOBODIAN: Alberta Soccer Association shows itself a poor loser

Despite an internal discipline committee’s 'not guilty' verdict, the Alberta Soccer Association (ASA) continues its punishing war with a member who criticized its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) agenda.The ASA is appealing a December 20 verdict — by a committee it appointed — to reinstate Jon Mulder who was suspended as president of the Central Alberta Soccer Association (CASA) by executive director Lisa Grant.Grant’s decision to ban Mulder from ASA events was also reversed following a December 6 hearing held because of a Code of Conduct complaint she lodged.What Mulder was not guilty of was never clearly stated. But now a new accusation has been leveled.In a December 29 Notice of Appeal, the ASA accused Mulder of “spewing hate” in an internal email objecting to DEI’s “Marxist” policies and sex and sexuality being pushed on other people’s children.“It’s frustrating, but not altogether unexpected that they would seek to appeal. They certainly seem to be trying to make an example out of me,” Mulder told the Western Standard.“The whole ‘agree with what we say or you’re a hateful bad person’ — I take great issue with that. That’s imposing ideology on people,” said Mulder.“And it says, ‘I retain the right to smear you.’ That’s not how you build community,” said the decade-long soccer volunteer.Mulder was advised he’d be notified of the hearing date via email from Cicero Viana, He/Him manager of ASA operations.“The first round was bullying but this has turned into a persecution,” said Mulder’s lawyer Craig Paterson.The ASA is violating Sect. 5.2 in its Appeals Policy and Procedures that states “appeals from an ASA Disciplinary Hearing must go to Canada Soccer,” said Paterson.“The only avenue of appeal for a disciplinary hearing that’s listed in there at all is to go through Canada Soccer, not Alberta Soccer.”“They’re basically setting up another committee in violation of their policies, that they’re appointing the members for, to take another run at us. They make up rules as they go along.”The appeal notice claims otherwise.“Under the Canada Soccer Disciplinary Code all appeals, or possible appeals, must be exhausted before the Member Association before it can be appealed to Canada Soccer.”It says the ASA Appeals Committee has “jurisdiction and scope” to hear a discipline committee appeal.The ASA ignored a Western Standard request to clarify the appeals process.What’s clear is the ASA views disagreement with its DEI agenda targeting soccer players as young as age three, not as a parental right, but as hateful.“The goal of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility is not a controversial subject. All Canadians devoid of hate support IDEA,” reads the Notice of Appeal.Members pay ASA fees, yet are denied the protection and rights stated in ASA regulations if they disagree with DEI... something that is and remains, in fact, highly controversial.But taxpayers are paying for it anyway. .According to the ASA’s financial statement, it collected $1,939,748 in membership fees in 2022. But, the ASA received government grants of $338,942 in 2022, mostly from the Alberta government.Yet taxpayers get no DEI say. Despite government funding, ASA adherence to bylaws isn’t under the microscope.The ASA criticized the “unreasonable” discipline committee.“It improperly interpreted and applied the Code of Conduct and failed to apply the ASA guidelines for discipline. It also failed to apply the correct penalties.”The soft-spoken Mulder was ordered to take an online Respect in Sports sensitivity course.“The Discipline Committee was either intimidated by the Respondent or otherwise treated his statements as opinion and fair comment when it had no basis to do so.”Here’s where the ASA’s attempt to justify an appeal gets interesting.“The ASA was not called upon to actively participate in the Discipline Hearing.”A recording of the hearing proves otherwise.“During the video hearing, we were put on hold for 30 minutes,” said Paterson.“The panel came back and said, ‘We’ve just talked to Lisa about this so now we have a better understanding.’”Grant represents the ASA. That conversation was ASA participation, was it not?Mulder sent a private email to nine ASA members and Grant on Dec. 11 responding to an email alerting member association to participate in an Inclusion, Diversity Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) conference hosted by Soccer Canada.“Keep Marxist politics out of sports, especially children’s sports,” wrote Mulder.“Only perverts and predators wish to discuss sex and sexuality with other people’s children. Adults don’t need to discuss their sexual proclivities in order to participate in community sports.” He said this “radical left-wing ideology discriminates against “young males of European descent.”Grant suspended Mulder via email the following day without speaking with him.The ASA faulted Mulder.“Nowhere in the email did the Respondent, Mulder, advise he was expressing an opinion nor did he invite discussion or debate. At all times Mulder made his statements as a statement of fact. The statements made by Mulder are untrue,” reads the notice.The signature on the appeal notice is indecipherable. The ASA wouldn’t reveal who signed it, or answer questions in an email from the Western Standard.“At this time, I can tell you that the ASA Board is appealing the hearing decision and as that process is underway we have no further comment on this matter at this time,” said ASA board president Adam Berti in an email with He/Him pronouns.“The Board of Directors is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion and to addressing discrimination in our sport. We are devoted to continuing to foster awareness and respect in our community.”Mulder’s private email was leaked to the CBC — a policy violation. In the article, Grant said Mulder’s comments were “disgusting and offensive.”But the ASA said Mulder could be the leaker.“It is not known if the email was leaked by the Respondent, Mulder, or an individual from the ASA,” reads the notice.“The ASA was obliged to respond to media inquiries as to why a representative of an ASA member association was spewing hate.”Berti ignored the Western Standard’s request to know if the ASA is investigating who leaked the email.The ASA took a shot at Canadian Mark Giles, head of Mi2, who was retained to handle the communications and investigative aspects of Mulder’s case.“The Respondent retained an agency based in Mexico named MI2: [sic] an unprofessional, amateur and abusive media agency to spread disinformation, harass the ASA and, in particular, its Executive Director.”Giles's response?“Mi2 conducts its impact operations in accordance with Canadian and international law, using strategies, skills and tactics acquired from — and practiced by — military, police and professional communicators in Canada and around the world,” he said.“The only organization we see as being ‘unprofessional, amateur and abusive…’ is the Alberta Soccer Association (ASA,) which, in delivering a very poorly written notice of appeal, also chose to add comments about Mi2 that are not only irrelevant to its appeal, but effectively serve to confirm the effectiveness of Mi2's actions in helping to defend Mr. Mulder against what many see as abuse and bullying by the ASA and its executive director, Lisa Grant."The appeal “surprised” Paterson.“I thought maybe they’d tuck their tail and say ‘OK, we lost.”Instead, they ‘mustered their forces” against Mulder.“‘We’re going to try and get you again. We’re still going to use all our internal mechanisms to do it. We’re not going to give you any procedural protection whatsoever. We’re not going to Canada Soccer because we can’t control what they do but we can control what we do.’”He said the ASA was likely shocked that the panel ruled against it.“I suspect it’s probably one of the first times it’s ever happened because most times people just roll over and take it.”“But when Jon showed up fully loaded up and fully armed with the research on policy and procedures and Canadian law, they didn’t know what to do.”The ASA should follow their own policies and procedures and “appoint a neutral third-party panel that has no connection to them.”The fight, even with greatly reduced fees, already cost Mulder “thousands of dollars,” but he won’t back down.“We’re supposed to be running soccer programs so people can get involved in their communities, have that opportunity.”A GiveSendGo account —https://www.givesendgo.com/FairPlayDefense — was set up to help with legal costs.

SLOBODIAN: Alberta Soccer Association shows itself a poor loser

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