Home Page Press USCF Agrees to Settle Lawsuits with Susan Polgar and Paul Truong
USCF Agrees to Settle Lawsuits with Susan Polgar and Paul Truong |
By USCF Executive Board | |
January 23, 2010 | |
The USCF announced it has agreed to a settlement with Susan Polgar and Paul Truong stemming from lawsuits filed by both parties. Polgar’s lawsuit, filed in August 2008, alleged libel, slander, defamation and other claims. USCF’s California lawsuit, adding claims against Susan Polgar in October 2008, alleged email hacking and wire fraud. The USCF also filed an Illinois lawsuit against Susan Polgar and Paul Truong to remove them as Executive Board members and end their relationship with the USCF for not acting in the best interests of the USCF. Under the settlement agreement, all named parties except Gregory Alexander and Sam Sloan have agreed to dismiss all claims and counter-claims in the actions in Texas and California. The Illinois lawsuit will end with a judgment confirming that Susan Polgar and Paul Truong are no longer Executive Board members. The USCF’s civil case against Alexander for email hacking and wire fraud continues, and Alexander is also facing similar federal criminal charges in California. As part of the settlement, Polgar and Truong have agreed to never contest the USCF Executive Board’s action in revoking their USCF memberships; acknowledge that they are no longer members of the USCF or members of the USCF Executive Board; agree to never seek, run for, or accept a leadership position in the USCF; and will never contest the Delegate’s actions that ratified the decisions of the USCF Executive Board at the August 2009 Annual Delegates Meeting. Under the settlement, the USCF will allow Polgar and Truong to be playing, non-members of the USCF and will be listed as “Playing Non-Member Status.” The USCF Insurer, Ansur America Insurance Company, a member of Frankenmuth Financial Group, has agreed to provide $131,000 to the USCF and $39,000 to Polgar’s attorneys. The USCF is pleased that this matter is finally settled and that no USCF funds will go to Polgar and Truong. Additionally, the USCF receives $131,000 to agree to a settlement. The USCF is a not-for-profit membership organization devoted to extending the role of chess in American society. The USCF promotes the study and knowledge of the game of chess, for its own sake as an art and enjoyment, but also as a means for the improvement of society. It informs, educates, and fosters the development of players (professional and amateur) and potential players. It encourages the development of a network of institutions devoted to enhancing the growth of chess, from local clubs to state and regional associations, and it promotes chess in American schools |