An Update on the IFPA and the OBX Fall Flippers Event

Since we reported yesterday on the controversies surrounding the harassment incident at the OBX Fall Flippers tournament and the fallout from the IFPA communications surrounding it, a lot of new information has surfaced. 

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Arguably, the most significant update is one shared by IFPA President Josh Sharpe at 9:21 AM this morning, after hours of silence in the IFPA’s official Discord, where a mix of heated debate and earnest protest occurred in the hours between announcements.

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Debate in the IFPA Discord grew increasingly volatile throughout the day, with several posts escalating into personal attacks and threats of violence. Out of respect for those involved, I’m avoiding specifics that could compromise anyone’s privacy.

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In the update, Josh provides additional context on the incident and their thought process regarding its resolution and outcome, including references to a leaked internal Slack conversation documenting real-time conversations as the situation unfolded.  

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When the IFPA team was made aware of the incident on Friday morning, an attending IFPA Director was empowered by Josh Sharpe to do whatever was necessary to resolve the issue, up to and including pulling event sanctioning. 

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As Josh states in the screenshot, “We can pull sanctioning of events for whatever we want, whenever we want, even after the fact. If there’s an issue with TD’s following our rules for sanctioning, then our communication should be with the TD on those issues. That TD then has to deal with the venue as to whatever hurdles exist to make sure our rules are followed.”

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This is where I believe communication within the IFPA falters. At about 3 pm the on-site IFPA Director relays a message that “We got it sorted.” What was perhaps less clear to some was what exactly that meant for the situation. 

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To some, it meant that the threat of immediate danger had been removed (Becky’s shift ended at 3 pm). To others, it meant the situation was totally resolved and the IFPA could continue supporting an officially sanctioned tournament. 

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As IFPA Director Adam Becker communicated to me in an email, responding to questions I had sent, “Once it was made clear that the issue had been resolved, everyone stood down. No further messages were received or sent until Monday and things were made abundantly clear that not only was it not resolved, but had escalated well beyond, had that information been made available on Friday, we wouldn’t be having this discussion, sanction would be removed.”

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To their credit, the IFPA and Josh Sharpe own that this was an incorrect move. As he notes in his statement, “In hindsight the correct decision was for me to simply pull sanctioning from the event IMMEDIATELY when the issue was brought to our attention in the Slack channel. While giving my full authority to the IFPA Director on site to do whatever was necessary, I take full responsibility for putting that IFPA Director in that situation, even with the full arsenal of IFPA power behind her in those moments.”

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Why wasn’t the sanctioning pulled from the event after the fact? 

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I asked Adam if the IFPA had ever revoked the sanctioning of a tournament or adjusted points eligibility after a tournament had concluded, and pertinent information that would warrant these changes was shared with the team. 

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He stated, “Yes, but what has never happened before is an IFPA staff member assures other IFPA staff members that an incident is resolved, the TD is made aware that they are free to continue with their event with no concerns and then we revoke sanction. That remains the crux of this issue, I wish this incident didn't involve hate towards the trans community, I wish we had done a better job, I hate the harm this has caused to them, but removing sanction doesn't fix that, we told the organizers everything was fine, our staff did that, our staff participated in the entire weekend of the event. Removing sanction doesn't fix anything, it removes any credibility we would ever have, no one could ever ask us for help and not expect a different result than what we said.”

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While an unpopular decision with many IFPA players, I think this is the way that the IFPA has determined as the best way to own their mistake while maintaining perceived decision-making credibility. Essentially, if the IFPA says they are going to do something, and then do that thing, that’s how it’s going to be, and I think the hope is that the decisions that are made in the first place are the correct ones. They aren’t always.

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Adam reinforced this line of thinking when I asked him how this decision aligns with the IFPA’s own policies around WPPR eligibility and Gender Inclusion. “In all honesty it doesn't, but as I've said above this isn't about who could or couldn't play, this is about what we as an organization told the organizers of this event that they were ok to move forward, that no action would be taken and everything has been resolved. I can't stress enough how much I hate that this is the position we are in.”

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Framed in this context, rightly or wrongly, this may be why, after three days of internal deliberation, the recommendations of the Women’s Advisory Board were dismissed and an alternate path was chosen instead. As he told me, “The recommendations from the women's board removed all responsibility from the IFPA and our role in this incident occurring.”

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As I sit on the umpteenth draft of this update this evening, I think ultimately where I’m landing is that there is no perfect solution for the IFPA, its players, or those affected by the hate-fueled, discriminatory actions of Becky Connell. 

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Everyone, in different ways, was put into impossible situations and made decisions to the best of their abilities with the information and resources available at the time. 

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Some of those decisions were wrong. 

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Hopefully, this can be a learning experience and a catalyst for positive change within the community, one that more closely aligns with the IFPA’s stated mission–”fostering a pinball community where EVERYONE, regardless of gender identity, expression, or background, feels welcome, safe, and valued.”