I was asked by the National Office of USA Judo (USJI)
to pass the following email (see below) on to the
people in Florida.

--- The following was written:
> Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2003 19:34:11 EST
> Subject: Update to Insurance Situation and Joint
> Santioning Program
>
> Office of the President of USA Judo
> 2304 N. Interstate Dr.
> Norman, OK 73072
> Voice: 405-321-8530
> Fax: 405-321-1478
> email: DrRonTripp@...
>
> February 3, 2003
>
> Good Afternoon Everyone;
>
> We want to take this opportunity to provide our
> membership with an update on
> the current status of the Joint Sanctioning Program.
> We want to assure our
> club leaders and tournament organizers that we are
> working diligently to
> expedite a resolution of this matter, if possible
> and acceptable to our new
> insurer and that you understand that it is
> imperative for the protection of
> our organization and membership that adequate
> reviews of all elements of this
> program are evaluated by professional insurance and
> legal expertise.
>
> Due the problems in the insurance industry after the
> impact of Sept. 11th
> tragedy USA Judo and the USJF were most concerned
> with renewal coverages as
> we entered the 2002/03 renewal activities. In
> preparation for our 2003
> activities, we reminded the USJA of the need to
> provide us a copy of their
> new insurance documents.
>
> On Sept. 12th, 2002 the USA Judo National Office
> requested copies of the
> USJA's General Liability Policy as a condition of
> continuation of the Joint
> Sanctioning Program. It is noteworthy at this point
> to also understand that
> as a condition for Group "A"; membership in USA Judo
> Group "A"; members are
> obligated to provide copies of their insurance
> policies as per United State's
> Judo, Inc.'s By Laws and Constitution, or be subject
> to suspension of their
> Group "A"; membership. An oral request was made on
> Oct. 11, 2002, during the
> USJI Insurance Sub Committee meeting of Jessie
> Jones, for the USJA to supply
> a copy of their insurance policy. A follow-up
> letter dated November 18th was
> issued again requesting copies of the USJA's General
> Liability Policy; again
> no policy was provided. The USJF, a co-party to the
> Joint Sanctioning
> Agreement, telephoned the USJA National Office on
> Dec. 6 and verbally
> requested Ms. Davis to forward a copy of their
> policy again with no results.
> A subsequent letter was forwarded on Dec. 15th,
> again with no results. The
> USJF notified the USJA on December 24th of their
> decision to terminate the
> Joint Sanctioning Program as a result of their
> failure to provide the
> requested policy. USA Judo, in a letter of January
> 10, 2003, after a vote of
> the USJI Executive Committee advised the USJA of the
> cancellation of the
> Joint Sanctioning policy, as well as advised them of
> the need for additional
> information, as suggested by our underwriter, before
> we could consider the
> reinstatement of the program. Despite over four
> months of requests the
> USJA's General Liability Policy was not provided.
> The total failure of the
> USJA to provide verification of their insurance
> coverage in a timely fashion
> was the sole cause of the termination of the Joint
> Sanction Agreement. The
> unexplained failure for the USJA to provide copies
> of the policy as mandated
> by the By Laws of USJI caused great concern as to
> what coverage may or may
> not exist. It is important for Judo players in the
> United States to realize
> that we must to continue to make every effort to
> protect our insurance
> coverage.
>
> On January 17th a copy of the USJA General Liability
> Policy was provided to
> the USJF National Headquarters by overnight mail
> service. The same policy
> was received by US Certified Mail at USA Judo's
> National Office on January
> 21, 2003. In an E-mail dated, January 16, 2003 from
> Ms. Katrina Davis, USJA
> Executive Office Manager, Mr. Fukuda and Mr.
> Rosenberg were advised that
> "policy corrections" were being made by the
> underwriters and that these would
> be provided when received. On the afternoon of
> January 21, Bill Rosenberg,
> Executive Director of USA Judo hand delivered a copy
> of USA Judo's General
> Liability Policy during which time Mrs. Davis
> provided one element of the
> missing "corrected documents." At that point a
> Confidentially Agreement was
> signed between the USJA, USJF and USA Judo, relative
> to the respective
> 2002/2003 insurance documents, limiting distribution
> and dissemination to the
> appropriate organizational elements for the
> administration and evaluation of
> these matters. This update fully respects that
> document and deals only with
> the current status of this review.
>
> Upon receipt of the USJA policy, on January 17,
> 2003, Robert Fukuda,
> Executive Director of the USJF, who received the
> first copy of the JA policy,
> immediately over nighted this policy to Marsh USA,
> the insurer of USA Judo
> and the USJF. Upon returning from the USJA's
> National Office on January 21,
> 2003, Bill Rosenberg, Executive Director of USA Judo
> faxed copies of the
> "corrections" provided by Mrs. Davis to Marsh, the
> USJF and Mr. Nalls, Chair
> of USA Judo's Law & Legislation Sub Committee.
>
> USA Judo & USJF have asked Marsh to evaluate the
> coverage issues of the USJA
> policy as well as the procedures followed by the
> USJA in insuring events both
> for 2001/02 and 2002/03. The adequacy of the USJA
> coverage is still under
> active review. There are questions which exist as
> to whether the USJA policy
> covered tournaments under the "as issued" 01/02
> policy, due to specific
> exclusions/endorsements within that policy. There
> also continues to be
> questions as to which events were covered by the
> USJA jointly with the
> USJI/USJF, under the 2001/02 policy. This review
> continues as of this date.
> Additionally, both the 2001/02 and the 2002/03
> policies have been forwarded
> to USJI's Law and Legislation Sub-committee for
> their review.
>
> For 2003, USA Judo & USJF in their bids for renewal
> received quotes from only
> one provider. USA Judo and the USJF share a policy
> and had a bid requirement
> that the policy being provided was to be a
> "non-aggregated" policy. The
> requirement for such a comprehensive coverage very
> much limited the number of
> providers and required the organization to document
> substantial loss control
> measurers and a high level of accountability. This
> standard of
> accountability is what has mandated increased
> reporting activities of our
> organization and the review that is essential for
> our organization to enter
> into activities with 3rd parties including most
> particularly the USJA.
>
> USA Judo and USJF cannot speak to the adequacy or
> inadequacy of coverage of
> other entities without professional reviews of both
> policies by our insurer,
> which is in progress.
>
> We need our membership to know that this matter is
> being handled responsibly
> and professionally and that your leadership is
> demanding due diligence for
> the protection of the organization and its
> membership. We are sensitive to
> the impact of this issue and are committed to
> resolve this matter in as
> expedient a fashion as responsible review will
> permit. We cannot accomplish
> overnight what over four months of delay by the USJA
> has precipitated, but
> that does not preclude our resolve to move forward
> in a professional and
> responsible fashion.
>
> We thank you for your understanding in this matter.
> If the Joint Sanctioning
> Program can be reinstated after review by our
> insurer, we will move as
> expeditiously as possible to accomplish that
> objective and provide
> notification through all available means.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Dr. Ron Tripp,
> President
> USA Judo
>
> William T. (Bill) Rosenberg,
> Executive Director
> USA Judo
>
> Michael T. Nalls, Esquire,
> Chairman of Law & Legislation,
> USA Judo
>
>
>
>