Saint Louis Chess Club Issues Statement on Alejandro Ramirez
The influential Saint Louis Chess Club admits they've "remained silent for too long" and says that they "should have done more to address the allegations" of sexual misconduct against GM Alejandro Ramirez.
229 days after two-time U.S. Women's Chess Champion WGM Jennifer Shahade sent shockwaves through the chess community with her allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment against prolific commentator and coach Ramirez, the Saint Louis Chess Club has broken the silence and responded to the allegations.
An important message from the Board of Directors❗️
— Saint Louis Chess Club (@STLChessClub) October 2, 2023
🔗: https://t.co/ALeJXoUkKE
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#STLChessClub #WorldChessHOF #STLChessCampus #USChess pic.twitter.com/HcyUgCHFJL
In a strong statement titled "An important message from the Board of Directors," the club says they are "deeply troubled by the allegations and accounts of misconduct" by Ramirez, and admits they should've done more to address the allegations:
Our greatest concern is for those who were assaulted or harassed by Mr. Ramirez, and we are deeply sorry for the pain caused. We also realize the Saint Louis Chess Club should have done more to address the allegations made by those who bravely came forward with information about his inexcusable behavior.
Ramirez resigned from his position as the club's coach and commentator days after Shahade's allegations at the end of February this year. Shahade later said she had been approached by 10 other women from the chess community who alleged they had been assaulted by Ramirez. Following an investigation, both the Saint Louis Chess Club and US Chess permanently suspended Ramirez from holding any position or participating in any chess-related activities.
In the wake of the allegations, the club remained silent and did not respond to Wall Street Journal's requests for comments. The club now calls that "a mistake that will not be repeated."
We were silent on this very real and important issue for too long–and in doing so–we let down those whom we champion: our students, players, donors, and friends. Our failure to use our influence to publicly step up and fiercely advocate for keeping chess safe is a mistake that will not be repeated.
2023 started a wider MeToo movement in the global chess community, with more than 100 women players signing a letter that says that sexual violence and harassment towards women are the primary reason why many of them stop playing chess. The open letter, initiated by some of France's top women players, later led to WIM Sabrina Chevannes to come out with her own harrowing experiences in the chess world.
The Saint Louis Chess Club acknowledges this and points to what they call a larger issue of bias and discrimination against female players in the global chess community.
As one of the most powerful and influential organizations in chess, we need to take responsibility and recognize we risk remaining part of this cultural problem unless we take a leadership role in working toward a solution.
The club says they have hired a new legal team, led by former U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway who will "review all its guidelines, practices and procedures when it comes to ensuring the safety and security of everyone participating in chess."
Among the new practices introduced are annual anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training for all their staff members, enhanced background checks for coaches and all staff having contact with minors, creation of a new HR Manager role who will respond to concerns and conduct investigations.
By creating and adhering to these new safety guidelines, the Saint Louis Chess Club remains committed to our mission of creating a world-class venue for players from across the globe to enjoy. This also includes providing a safe environment free from discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct, hazing, bullying, and mental or physical abuse.
The Saint Louis Chess Club says they encourage any victim or other persons to come forward and report it if they suspect inappropriate conduct.
Speaking to Chess.com, Shahade calls it a "powerfully written statement with a lot of strong action items." She looks forward to seeing the implementation.
[Updated October 5 with Chess.com statement]
In light of the statement on Ramirez, Chess.com will again provide support for tournaments by the Saint Louis Chess Club.
— Chess.com (@chesscom) October 5, 2023
Tarjei J. Svensen is a Norwegian chess journalist who worked for some of the country's biggest media outlets and appeared on several national TV broadcasts. Between 2015 and 2019, he ran his chess website mattogpatt.no, covering chess news in Norwegian and partly in English.
In 2020, he was hired by Chess24 to cover chess news, eventually moving to Chess.com as a full-time chess journalist in 2023. He is also known for his extensive coverage of chess news on his X/Twitter account.
