Legal Question: Can She Take Back Her Resignation?
On April 1, 2008, Susan Polgar announced that she was resigning from
the Executive Board of the United States Chess Federation. See:
http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2008/03/very-important-announcement.html
http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2008/04/im-moving-back-to-hungary.html
http://www.chessville.com/misc/PolgarQuits.htm
The first announcement, which was on March 31, 2008, said:
"My husband and I have been in a number of negotiation sessions (via
phone) this entire weekend which could immediately effect our USCF
board members status as well as our status at the Texas Tech
University Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence. Stay tuned!"
The second announcement, dated April 1, 2008, stated:
"Here is the full story of my announcement. I plan to reunite with my
sisters to represent Hungary in future Olympiads. I hope to have the
paperwork done ASAP with FIDE."
This referred the readers to the third announcement, which stated in
part:
"Shocking is not an adequate word for this announcement from Lubbock
Texas, home of Susan Polgar, that she is resigning all her chessic
positions in the USA - the Chairmanship of the USCF has already been
stripped from her by President Bill Goichberg, and now she exits from
the board too."
It seems to me that this is a clear resignation. When a player says "I
resign" in a chess game, he cannot change his mind one minute later
and thus take it back. Therefore, I believe that her announcement that
she is resigning is legally effective.
However, the following day, April 2, 2008, Susan Polgar stated on her
website:
"It was meant for good fun on April 1. Humor is needed from time to
time and we all need to laugh and smile more :)"
However, I do not believe that a person can say "I am resigning from
the board" and then claim the next day that this was just an April
Fools Joke. Also, her statement on March 31, which was NOT April Fools
Day, said, "I expect to be able to bring you the latest news within
the next 48 hours." That must have referred to the statement made the
following day that she was resigning, since no other "important
statement" appeared within 48 hours.
Also, I understand from other sources that the "number of negotiation
sessions (via phone) this entire weekend" mentioned in the March 31
announcement referred to the request by Polgar that Texas Tech
University "buy out" her contract with them, and it was only after
Texas Tech refused to buy out Susan Polgar and Paul Truong that she
announced that she was staying.
Thus, I believe that her resignation was legally effective and Susan
Polgar is no longer a member of the Executive Board of the United
States Chess Federation.
Sam Sloan
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