An article published in National Ski Patrol’s publication “Ski Patrol Magazine” featured racist comments from the Chair Brian Rull;

“I was unfortunate enough to sit next to an Asian woman who coughed the entire flight and postured as if she had emphysema,” Rull wrote. “A few days later, I had the same. It took two Z packs and a predisone dose pack before what I beat ailed me. I would like to think I’m a COVID-19 survivor, but I am too stubborn and would prefer to spend my money on something fun versus a COVID-19 antibody test.”

When faced with feedback from members that the statement was racist, inappropriate, and whom demanded accountability both for Brian Rull and others involved in publishing the magazine, NSP issued the following statement from Rull;

“Language in my Fall column that referenced an ‘Asian woman’ was the result of an unfortunate editing error as I tightened the copy for publication…”

The NSP, upon hiring a PR firm at the cost of it’s members, has followed up with the statement, “Brian is guilty of sloppy editing.” But refuses to admit that the words were racist or make any sort of change. Rull also twice offered to resign, only to have board members insist on his innocence and “commitment to diversity and inclusion efforts”.

A “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Action Team” was also hastily created by the NSP. Although when an NSP member attended the meeting and demanded accountability, the NSP board retaliated by threatening her with lawsuits from alleged code of conduct violations. Despite what the PR firm has been publishing on NSP’s behalf, there is no form of open conversation about lived experiences of minorities in patrol, and the board continues to ferociously defend the status quo at all costs.

We have firsthand both witnessed and been on the receiving end of discrimination in the National Ski Patrol system; discrimination enacted by people in the highest positions of power. With the lack of diversity in the ski industry, and the increasing violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community as COVID has progressed, it is more important than ever for the NSP to acknowledge that what they published in their magazine is harmful and a direct result of the toxic culture that has been cultivated in the highest levels of NSP.

We demand the following from NSP as a result of these events:

1)    Both Brian Rull and the NSP Board publicly acknowledge that they knowingly published racist commentary in their Ski Patrol Magazine.

1a)  If Brian refuses to take personal accountability, he must resign.

2)    NSP must hire an independent DEI consulting firm to assess what went wrong, how the culture contributed to the publication, create a Whistle Blowing system, and make a transparent long-term plan for DEI efforts.

3)    Formal mandatory training on DEI for the Board, and NSP membership at large, to include bystander intervention training.

4)    Binding agreements that NSP work with Camber Outdoors to reform board recruitment and add outside board members as “watch dogs”, including at least one of whom has a background in public health. This would form the basis of an Independent Oversight Committee.

4a)  Oversight Committee members would be placed on various existing NSP committees and available to review documents like medical refreshers.

5)    Binding agreements with Prismwork concerning improvement of governance and revision of bylaws to ensure a more diverse make-up of the NSP Board.

Full article concerning events surrounding the original publication found below:

https://asamnews.com/2020/12/21/executive-director-resigns-but-group-says-the-resignation-is-unrelated-to-the-commentary/