That time I contacted the Texas AG about RWA

FYI, that time was today.

Below is my letter. FYI, I’m fed up. I am done. Questions and emails mostly go ignored by the board. Yes, I get it, I’m one of thousands emailing them, but we don’t need a personal response. We need a professional one that addresses their serious screw-ups here.

When you do hear back you have people talking to you in condescending, how dare you tone… oh, honey, you’ve got no idea how much I’ll dare.

There are a couple of members, yes, who are working to keep in touch with us and make sure we know we’re being heard, but the people who caused the problems, namely Damon The Ass Suede? Nope.

But apparently he’s cool with calling people up and telling them them he plans to serve out his term despite

  • the fact that more than thirty chapters are now calling him to step down
  • numerous agencies have publicly stated they will not attend RWA events until there is a change in leadership
  • despite the fact that over 1000 members are demanding his resignation

Damon, you’re an ass. I wonder how many chapter sessions you’ll be invited to after this, what with you fiddling while Rome burns, you cretin.

There are also rumors that RWA STAFF!!!!! hired a crisis management team and are hoping this will all blow over in a few months.

Like hell.

Oh, and check out this white-savior piece of shit cover on the latest RWR, RWA’s montly publication.

cover shows a white woman helping a black woman up a hill, because yo, as always, the white woman is the savior.

And to head off questions I’m too pissed to address, if there is somebody who doesn’t see the problem with this image… google the “white savior complex”.

Now, my letter.

To the staff, board and president:

So, like many of us have probably been doing, I’ve been digging into the legalities of nonprofits, etc. In Texas, nonprofits are investigated by the state attorney general.

I contacted his office via the online form.

Below is the letter I just sent to Carol, Damon & Co.

HelloI want to add my voice to the numerous other members calling to demand information on the certification process behind Damon Suede being allowed to 1) Run for president elect as it appears he has only four novel-length works, making him ineligible to run since the requirement is five published works of romance.2) Who approved his name on the ballot3) Any other information that would clear this mess up.Additionally, I’ve contacted the Texas State Attorney General ‘s office. They are in charge of investigating nonprofits within the state, including possible ethics violations.Due to:

  • Numerous complaints from our minority members that complaints from everything regarding overt racism & homophobia to ablism to not making our conference spaces accessible to all members, including those who require the assistance of wheelchairs and/or other mobility devices.
  •  the utter lack of communication coming from the offices of RWA and the president, and a lack of reassurance from the staff and ED that the recall petitions will be fairly and justly handled,   
  • reports that members of staff might have been involved in encouraging an RWA member to file one of the initial complaints that led to this
  • reports that RWA funds are being used to hire a crisis management team by the staff in the hopes this will all blow over
  • due to questionable changes made to the P&P regarding the RITA contest
  • due to questionable changes made to the P&P that allowed the ED and then Pres-Elect to get involved in an ethics committee formation when they had no business 
  • due to the questionable formation of a secret ethics committee
  • and due to the overall lack of explanation, the lack of transparency when we were promised otherwise, your contemptuous responses and your utter arrogance in dealing with the very members who make it possible for you to have your jobs

I contacted the state attorney general’s office today via their online form, providing them with my contact info and requesting how to take action regarding my concerns surrounding certain members in RWA’s leadership, namely the executive director, former director now controller and president–Alison Kelly, Carol Ritter and Damon Suede.Screenshots provided below. The text reads as follows:

screenshot of online form sent to Texas AG

​There have been a few members of the board, namely via the RWA forums, who have attempted to at least make us aware they know we have concerns and that is appreciated.However, the complete silence coming from the president who bears much responsibility in this mess, as well as the executive director who must have been involved on some level, is complete and utter bullshit and I’m fed up and done waiting for answers.​–
Shiloh Walker
https://www.shilohwalker.com/website/

Text of the screen shot reads

“”I’d like to know the proper process for filing a complaint regarding a TX non-profit. I’m a member of the organization and there are serious concerns regarding actions of late. Questions by the membership to the board are going unanswered. Additionally, it would appear that by-laws regarding elected officials were ignored by ED, resulting in the election of somebody unqualified for his position.””

If anybody else wants to contact, the form is at https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/contact-us-online-form

Yes, I realize this could be a huge thing, but if we don’t do something, there might not BE much of an RWA left worth fighting for by the time the wannabe despots are done.​

One Reply to “That time I contacted the Texas AG about RWA”

  1. Damn, Shiloh, I know I’ve been on the sidelines for a few months (annoying illness), but… WOW! I was looking forward to attending RWA’s conference in 2020 because I missed the one in New York. But now I’ve discovered that many of the amazing authors I’d hoped to reconnect with won’t be there for what I’m astonished to learn is some very legitimate concerns about RWA. I admit I hate being so conflicted, so I’ve got some due diligence ahead of me.

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