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Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 12:31 pm
by Chansol
As a player from Asia, we play in a pretty insulated setting.
The quizbowl culture here is different, and the vast majority of controversy have as much (physical) impact on me as conflicts in the Middle East.
As a result, I don't like posting here, since I kind of feel like someone interfering in controversy that I really do not belong in.
However, this time, I really do feel like its necessary to do so, because I cannot continue to support NAQT if things stay the way they are.
At this point, I don't care if Matt is absolutely crucial to NAQT.
I don't care if whatever investigation done by NAQT yields no "conclusive evidence".
In fact, I would go as far as to say that I don't care if the initial allegations are true or not.
If those are true, even worse.
If not, the blog posts above (unless it's somehow a different Matt Bruce) are enough to show that Matt Bruce needs to go.
This is a person who admitted to not knowing if he has the "self-restraint to teach high school girls".
Why is this person still involved in running quizbowl events for an organisation catered towards high schoolers?
They say it's not so much the problems you're confronted with, but the way you deal with these problems.
At the end of the day, we can only speculate about how much NAQT knew about this blog or whatever evidence.
What's important right now is that the evidence is most certainly here, and we (at least Asia and a lot of high schoolers I presume) are waiting to see how NAQT responds.
Also worth noting is that this issue seems to have only been discussed by high schoolers, "cranky college kids", a few older members of the community, and some well connected coaches. I can only imagine the outrage that will ensue when parents, school administration, and more casual quizbowl players get involved.
If nothing else NAQT, fire this man because it will hurt your bottom line.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 12:34 pm
by The Ununtiable Twine
The longer Matt Bruce remains a member of NAQT, the longer this thread will get. More people will see it. More people will post in it. More people will begin to lose their trust in NAQT. I am not alone in saying that I love promoting NAQT's content and staffing their national tournaments. At this moment I'm afraid that tournament field sizes across the country will decrease and the national tournaments will take a huge hit if something is not done promptly. The sooner the thorough action from NAQT, the more sincere it will be perceived as being. Please do everyone a favor by following through promptly.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 12:44 pm
by Couch's Kingbird
Amiable Vitriol wrote:There haven't been too many underage girls participating in this thread, so I'll chime in. The existence of Matt Bruce does in fact make me feel incredibly unsafe. I'm just one person, but if NAQT continues to implicitly support him by retaining him as a member, I can't imagine attending NAQT events in the future, and I imagine that goes for a significant number of other girls hoping not to be ogled as well.
I completely agree with Olivia's post, with one addition: as someone with many underage girls on my team that I care about deeply, I'd feel terrible if I let any of them near Matt (or anyone like Matt). I can't imagine why anyone who knows that this man expressly stated his attraction his attraction to underage girls that are part of the target audience of NAQT's biggest events (MSNCT and HSNCT, along with SSNCT) would ever allow him to staff those tournaments and interact with many of those girls in any situation.

It's disturbing to me that members of NAQT (or people affiliated with NAQT in some form) knew about this blog and did nothing (as mentioned upthread) for such a long time; I really hope NAQT takes proactive steps to a) fire Matt Bruce and b) clarify some form of procedure for the future- as well as increase transparency (it'd be nice if, like Mike Cheyne mentioned upthread, we could get some form of update from NAQT) in case this happens again- before too much of the community's faith in the organization is lost.

I love quiz bowl, and MSNCT/HSNCT has always been an integral part of my quiz bowl experience, but I too cannot in good faith support NAQT if something doesn't change about this.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 12:45 pm
by Sima Guang Hater
I don't exactly have the power of the purse anymore, but I can say this:

-I wrote about 300$ of questions for NAQT in the past week, kicked in some well-received questions for HSNCT, and I advise a lot of science writers (who are at a premium, lest you forget). I cannot in good conscience continue to contribute past August unless Matt is removed, and I cannot recommend that my friends do the same
-I cannot in good conscience staff NAQT events unless Matt is removed by August
-I would advise the top ICT teams to boycott ICT as well, unless Matt is removed (this is something that'll take some more effort on my part). This will eliminate ICT as a "legitimate" national championship.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 12:46 pm
by Slightly Less British
British player here. We haven't sent any teams to ICT in a long while, but still use 2-3 adapted NAQT sets a year (SCT D1 for our nationals, an intramural set for Oxbridge intercollegiate games and apart from last year an adapted collegiate novice set). I'm also not currently in any position of any authority whatsoever to make decisions on behalf of Oxford or any other British quiz organisations.

That being said, I cannot personally condone playing, rewriting or moderating on any set that earns NAQT money while Matt Bruce continues to be involved with the organisation. If NAQT continue to be largely silent on this issue through the summer, I would urge all British quiz societies to source or, if necessary, write, other questions for these tournaments. Even though none of the things Matt Bruce claims to have done or has been accused of doing have happened in this country, I don't feel we should be exempt from holding NAQT to account as best we can.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 12:48 pm
by nsb2
I agree with practically all of the thoughts and opinions stated in previous replies. I found the content of Matt's blog to be very disturbing, to say the least. Although I did not know about these allegations at the time, I feel bad to have played at a small tournament (D2 SCT at Stanford) where Matt was staffing. If he is allowed to have any involvement in quizbowl going forward, it will be detrimental to the community and to the future of the game as a whole.

Like several others who have already posted, I do not plan on attending any NAQT events or contributing to NAQT in any way until he has been removed.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 12:54 pm
by cooper_not_copper
Disclaimer: my voice doesn't add any additional information, but it does add another perspective on this situation.

Upon reading about this this morning, I immediately ran into the bathroom and vomited. I am absolutely disgusted by the accusations and even more horrified knowing that there is someone so high up in the NAQT food chain who behaves thusly. I told my parents about this and, to quote, "If that pedophile is anywhere near another of your tournaments, you're not going." And to be honest, I agree with that. I'd rather play a tournament with poor questions than one with a legitimate pedophile so close to a large group of teenagers like myself.

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Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 1:05 pm
by mhayes
Aside from superficial interactions at NAQT events, I do not know Matt that well. He always seemed like a nice person, however.

That said, NAQT must take swift action here. From a liability standpoint, I imagine they would be responsible if, God forbid, anything were to happen at one of their events. This is especially true since at least one NAQT member ostensibly knew about the blog posts beforehand.

The most recent excerpt in this thread is *deeply* disturbing and reads like something from a To Catch a Predator chat log.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 1:07 pm
by High Dependency Unit
If Matt Bruce is not removed by NAQT or NAQT fails to explain their oversight with regards to the very obvious nature of his blog posts, I will do my best to make sure that CTQBA-supported events and any sort of tournament Bowdoin hosts do not use NAQT sets, and I will not in good conscience be able to recommend NAQT's national championships to teams that attend those events.

I trust that Matt Bruce will not be with NAQT by August, but I am losing serious faith in the organization based on the amount of community pressure required to get NAQT to do the right thing here.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 1:29 pm
by Berniecrat
I am obviously not one of the very established members of this community, but I have enjoyed playing NAQT since middle school. That's what made it worse when I heard that NAQT did not fire this despicable man. This is not just accusations, there is actual proof about what a twisted person he is. When NAQT added people in HSNCT to help out with situations like this, that was one right step forward. But if they want to keep their reputation as being a safe place for people to enjoy learning and competing, then they should definitely fire this man.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 1:38 pm
by InvadErGII
I am dumbfounded that the NAQT higher-ups have not taken stronger action based on these revelations. Any one of the blog posts highlighted in this thread should be disqualifying for someone in any activity involving teenagers and young adults. If quiz bowl is to continue to grow and be a more positive environment for all players, Matt's involvement absolutely must end.

If you're reading this, NAQT - I consider many of you to be good friends, and I think that's true of many of the people speaking out here. I'm sure that most if not all of us expect better than this from you. Do the right thing, and do it soon.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 1:43 pm
by halle
I had considered not posting in this thread because what I have to say seems obvious: Matt Bruce should lose his NAQT membership and should never be allowed near a tournament again. For my own sanity I have avoided exploring his blog particularly deeply, but just from the excerpts shared here and in the Discord it is abundantly clear that Matt is a pedophile, or at least something incredibly close to being a pedophile. Pedophiles should not be welcome in respectable organizations in any capacity. I have done little more than repeat what others have posted and state the obvious, but the fact that Matt Bruce remains a member of NAQT means that some of the other NAQT members do not find these points obvious. NAQT members: if you find yourself unable to see that Matt has pedophilic tendencies, or unable to understand why those tendencies are a fireable offense, please take some time to reckon with yourself over whether your personal loyalties are blinding you. If you are unwilling or unable to put doing the right thing above protecting your friend, you too should not be an NAQT member. At the very least, if your friendship with Matt is influencing your thoughts on this matter, recuse yourself from the vote or decision making process that would strip Matt of his membership. What others have said is convincing enough, but I add my voice anyway: This guy has gotta go.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 1:45 pm
by The Sawing-Off of Manhattan Island
The initial allegations and the subsequent blog posts in this thread were perhaps the only things I have ever read that have made me feel physically sick. I can't imagine anyone wanting to associate themselves with someone who says those sorts of awful things publicly, and as everyone else has said, I am certainly not willing to associate myself (either playing, writing, or staffing) with a company that does not strongly reject his views by firing him.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 1:55 pm
by wcheng
As so many others have expressed, I find it disturbing that NAQT has not removed Matt Bruce given the predatory inclinations that he has demonstrated in his blog. Given that so much of NAQT's business is hosting competitions for minors, NAQT's first priority should be to ensure the safety of these minors, and nothing less. Because I cannot in good conscience support a company that threatens this safety by employing Matt Bruce, and because it is imperative for the entirety of the quizbowl community to take a stand against this existential threat to quizbowl's overall well-being, I will join in the boycott and refuse to participate in NAQT events (including the 2019 ICT, if it comes down to that) or use NAQT sets until NAQT takes satisfactory action against him.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 2:02 pm
by Skepticism and Animal Feed
There are two hypotheses for why Matt Bruce remains an NAQT member at the moment. The first hypothesis is that NAQT does not care or understand why these blog posts are a problem. The second hypothesis is that NAQT intends to remove Matt Bruce but can't do it at instant speed - perhaps they need to formally organize and hold a vote, perhaps they need to consult an attorney or accountant first, etc.

Lots of people seem to be assuming that the first hypothesis is correct. It could be the second. I don't personally know which hypothesis is true, but I'd wait at least a few days before simply assuming the first hypothesis is correct.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 2:03 pm
by kitakule
I heartily endorse all the posts so far in this thread, particularly Weijia's and Jacob's. Matt Bruce being allowed to continue to staff (let alone read) at tournaments featuring hundreds of underage children, despite his creepy blog posts being up for anyone to see for years, gives not just NAQT, but the activity of quizbowl itself, a terrible look. He needs to be expelled from the community, promptly. And as much as I love playing NAQT tournaments, I must also say that I cannot in good conscience continue to play them as long as I know Matt Bruce is still around in the organisation. Get him out, now.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 2:04 pm
by MahoningQuizBowler
He goes or I do, and I hope my Ohio colleagues at all levels would follow suit.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 2:06 pm
by jmarvin_
Skepticism and Animal Feed wrote:There are two hypotheses for why Matt Bruce remains an NAQT member at the moment. The first hypothesis is that NAQT does not care or understand why these blog posts are a problem. The second hypothesis is that NAQT intends to remove Matt Bruce but can't do it at instant speed - perhaps they need to formally organize and hold a vote, perhaps they need to consult an attorney or accountant first, etc.

Lots of people seem to be assuming that the first hypothesis is correct. It could be the second. I don't personally know which hypothesis is true, but I'd wait at least a few days before simply assuming the first hypothesis is correct.
If it is, in fact, the second hypothesis, they certainly owe the community at least a few words assuring us of this; there is no legal danger in telling your community that you are in the process of securing their safety and take it seriously. NAQT's repeated willingness to leave this matter in limbo, to be silent about it, when multiple members KNEW about all this, is unacceptable and needs to be rectified.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 2:08 pm
by Thaumatibis gigantea
Swarthmore Quizbowl will no longer support NAQT by attending or hosting its tournaments until Matt Bruce is removed from the company's tournaments, leadership and decision making. We hope to see this action taken as soon as possible.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 2:09 pm
by halle
Skepticism and Animal Feed wrote: Lots of people seem to be assuming that the first hypothesis is correct. It could be the second. I don't personally know which hypothesis is true, but I'd wait at least a few days before simply assuming the first hypothesis is correct.
We have waited a few days. If NAQT has a timeframe for how they’re handling this, it’s high time they share it. They can’t expect us to assume the best for much longer, given that it’s been about two weeks since these allegations became public.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 2:10 pm
by AKKOLADE
If you don't feel comfortable making a post but feel strongly on this issue, you might want to email NAQT at [email protected].

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 2:11 pm
by heterodyne
Skepticism and Animal Feed wrote:There are two hypotheses for why Matt Bruce remains an NAQT member at the moment. The first hypothesis is that NAQT does not care or understand why these blog posts are a problem. The second hypothesis is that NAQT intends to remove Matt Bruce but can't do it at instant speed - perhaps they need to formally organize and hold a vote, perhaps they need to consult an attorney or accountant first, etc.

Lots of people seem to be assuming that the first hypothesis is correct. It could be the second. I don't personally know which hypothesis is true, but I'd wait at least a few days before simply assuming the first hypothesis is correct.
The second hypothesis may be correct, but if things are in motion in NAQT I would hope they would have the good sense to post in this thread suggesting they have heard our concerns and are looking at possible modes of action.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 2:18 pm
by naturalistic phallacy
Is there any internal difference between termination of membership and resignation within NAQT? I know that there some sort of profit-sharing given to NAQT members at the end of each year's cycle. Would resignation divest a member? Or does it work like stock in that a resigned member could still profit from NAQT?

(To clarify, I've idly wondered about this for months now, just out of curiosity regarding NAQT's structure. Now it seems to be at least somewhat relevant.)

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 2:21 pm
by Skepticism and Animal Feed
naturalistic phallacy wrote:Is there any internal difference between termination of membership and resignation within NAQT? I know that there some sort of profit-sharing given to NAQT members at the end of each year's cycle. Would resignation divest a member? Or does it work like stock in that a resigned member could still profit from NAQT?

(To clarify, I've idly wondered about this for months now, just out of curiosity regarding NAQT's structure. Now it seems to be at least somewhat relevant.)
Yeah I've heard rumors that, for example, Matt Bruce has an equity or ownership stake in NAQT. If that's true, it could take mounds of paperwork to get him out and lawyers might need to get involved. They got rid of Andy Watkins pretty quickly, and he was a member, but Matt Bruce might be some kind of super-member.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 2:22 pm
by DLee
As mentioned previously by others, I feel it is unsafe to keep someone like Mr. Bruce in the quizbowl community and in tournaments. It's very obvious that his actions are not only disrespectful but also a threat to women in this community. I don't even know why this is a question for NAQT, but in order for quizbowl to thrive as a functional society, we should not have anyone that takes advantage and harms others.

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Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 2:23 pm
by higsquizbowl
After reading everything, I'm so disgusted.

I'm disgusted that someone who appears so dedicated and passionate towards quiz bowl on the exterior is the last thing I want my kids to see on the interior.

Matt Bruce moderated for the 3rd/4th place round that my kids played in at MSNCT 2018; his mom even reached out to me after the game and complimented me on my coaching style and passion towards my team. Matt's read at most of the Bay Area middle school tournaments I send my kids to, but at this point I'm seriously questioning his motives towards reading to the middle school circuit. I can say, without a doubt, that I will never send my kids to a tournament where Matt Bruce staffs, and that I fully regret sending my kids to tournaments where he's moderated over the last four years.

I feel like such an idiot for not taking more precautions when sending my middle school kids to tournaments, and for the naive belief that I thought that the quiz bowl scene was a safe haven.

NAQT, things like this are a ZERO TOLERANCE policy. Unless you (Matt) are completely and apologetically honest about your past with a constant desire and work ethic to undo your wrongdoings, you are fully accountable for all your previous actions. There's more than enough evidence to see that Matt is a danger to CHILDREN THAT ARE 11-14 YEARS OLD.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 2:34 pm
by justinduffy
One thing that makes me especially uneasy is that if someone is comfortable enough to post about these inappropriate thoughts in a public forum, they are probably more likely to act on those same thoughts. Quiz bowl puts people in contact with hundreds or even thousands of competitors, most of whom are minors. Continuing to employ someone who has posted about inappropriate sexual content (including pedophilic comments) and has been accused of sexual harassment in a quiz bowl setting is unacceptable. Removing Matt Bruce from NAQT won't immediately solve all of the problems regarding the culture of misogyny and abuse in quiz bowl, but it's a necessary step in the right direction.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 2:56 pm
by CPiGuy
After internal discussion, Michigan has decided that we are not going to be hosting or playing any tournaments using NAQT's questions until Matt Bruce is no longer an NAQT member.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 3:40 pm
by rhentzel
NAQT has an open investigation into all aspects of the situation, including the alleged sexual assault at Boston University and the series of blog posts. This is not just an informal "we're looking into it" probe, but a result of NAQT's formal grievance process having been triggered.

This process, which is defined in our bylaws, lays out a specific timeline for evidence to be gathered and a judgment rendered. NAQT will be following that procedure to ensure that the proper decisions are made in an uncontestable fashion.

NAQT takes the community's concerns seriously on all issues, but especially in cases like this involving our obligation to provide a safe and welcoming experience to all participants.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 3:43 pm
by naturalistic phallacy
rhentzel wrote:NAQT has an open investigation into all aspects of the situation, including the alleged sexual assault at Boston University and the series of blog posts. This is not just an informal "we're looking into it" probe, but a result of NAQT's formal grievance process having been triggered.

This process, which is defined in our bylaws, lays out a specific timeline for evidence to be gathered and a judgment rendered. NAQT will be following that procedure to ensure that the proper decisions are made in an uncontestable fashion.

NAQT takes the community's concerns seriously on all issues, but especially in cases like this involving our obligation to provide a safe and welcoming experience to all participants.
Thank you for posting this. Do you have a ballpark timeline for this process that you could announce?

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 3:47 pm
by Sylvia Pankhurst
One question that I think the community has for NAQT, however, is why exactly we should trust the organization going forward. It's great that you are now looking into everything--I don't mean that to come off as sarcastic. But why did it fall to members of the community to find these abhorrent blog posts? If it is true that other NAQT members have known about these posts for years as has been alleged, why was he still staffing NCTs where children were present?

If you are a member of NAQT who read these posts and were not alarmed enough to believe that Matt Bruce had no place in quizbowl, do everyone a favor and resign.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 3:58 pm
by rhentzel
naturalistic phallacy wrote:Thank you for posting this. Do you have a ballpark timeline for this process that you could announce?
According to the text of NAQT's bylaws, up to 90 days is allowed for final resolution. NAQT's officers would prefer as rapid a resolution as possible.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 4:01 pm
by Aaron's Rod
Hi, everybody. Good to see you here.
rhentzel wrote:
naturalistic phallacy wrote:Thank you for posting this. Do you have a ballpark timeline for this process that you could announce?
According to the text of NAQT's bylaws, up to 90 days is allowed for final resolution. NAQT's officers would prefer as rapid a resolution as possible.
Thank you for the clarification. I assume this is 90 days from the revelations in this thread, given that 90 days since Charlie brought his concerns to NAQT has long since passed.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 4:07 pm
by Important Bird Area
According to our bylaws, that is "up to 90 days" from the filing of a formal grievance, not from the beginning of our investigative process (which as you note was earlier in the winter).

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 4:43 pm
by Rabbinator
I have called Matt my friend for a few years, but as I told someone else recently you never REALLY know someone. I'm disappointed, but most of all I'm disgusted. I'm disgusted that nobody at a company I so passionately championed for thought these blog posts were disturbing. That a person who makes comments about the bodies of pre teens and teens was allowed around so many of them in a professional capacity.

I think all the women of quizbowl should boycott NAQT until something is done. And the men who support us can join in, too.

I'm so disappointed in NAQT.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 4:52 pm
by karstenontheshore
I feel really uncomfortable right now because I just realized that Matt Bruce read a round to us at MSNCT. With what I know now, I wouldn't have wanted my female teammates in that room. I'm shocked that NAQT wasn't able to protect me and my teammates from something that has no place in Quiz Bowl and around middle schoolers in general.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 4:56 pm
by Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock
I have nothing else to say that has not been covered by my colleagues. Gettysburg will not participate in NAQT tournaments and I will not contribute to NAQT sets until Matt Bruce has been removed and NAQT provides a proper explanation of why this monster was allowed near children.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 5:13 pm
by 34 + P.J. Dozier
I'm probably not adding anything particularly noteworthy to this discussion, but I also wanted to voice my disgust and shock at how Matt Bruce has been employed by NAQT for so long in spite of such outwardly repugnant behavior. Seeing as how NAQT currently markets itself as a popular gateway to quizbowl for all age groups, I can't imagine that it'll work out too well for both NAQT and quizbowl as a whole once word of this escapes the forums and into the larger public's ears.

On a more personal note: my co-captain is a girl and my appointed successor will also be a girl. Both of them are incredibly important and inspirational people to me and both of them played alongside me at HSNCT this year. I am outraged that, had this not come to light, they could have potentially been playing a match at HSNCT in a room staffed by a pedophile – a pedophile that has evaded his comeuppance for years due to the complicity of members of this very community – and, as a result, could have been put in danger. Until NAQT resolves this situation by firing Matt Bruce, there is no way that I will be playing or staffing at any NAQT events, and I will encourage both my club and my circuit to do the same.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 5:24 pm
by Wartortullian
Our executive team has met, and until Matt Bruce is removed from NAQT, we will not host events on NAQT questions. I have no control over whether my teammates participate in NAQT events, but we will recommend against it and will not provide funding. In addition, we will advise other teams in the area not to use NAQT questions or attend their tournaments.

I really hope that it doesn't come to this (and given R's most recent posts, it probably won't have to). I've loved every NAQT tournament that I've ever played or staffed, but unless Matt Bruce is removed, we have no choice but to boycott.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 5:56 pm
by Father Comstock
karsten7814 wrote:I feel really uncomfortable right now because I just realized that Matt Bruce read a round to us at MSNCT. With what I know now, I wouldn't have wanted my female teammates in that room. I'm shocked that NAQT wasn't able to protect me and my teammates from something that has no place in Quiz Bowl and around middle schoolers in general.
If you are an NAQT member and can read this without wanting removal of Bruce immediately, then you are part of the problem. There is content in those blog posts that would have horrified me as a middle schooler and it is unacceptable that Karsten had to not only be privy to this conversation but also had to be in the same room as this vermin with female teammates.

There is a time and place for formalities, but I'm not so sure this is such a time. One of your members blogged about having a hard drive of porn potentially featuring minors. THIS IS NOT A GOOD LOOK. I cannot speak on behalf of Purdue Quiz Bowl, but I am not going to be conducting any outreach in my state in the name of NAQT while Matt is still on NAQT's payroll.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 7:21 pm
by Votre Kickstarter Est Nul
I have nothing of note to personally add to this discussion, except to second the disgust shared by everyone who has been posting. I do not know enough about NAQT's internal functions to comment (except to second the questions about why Matt B. was sheltered for this long), but I will say that I am glad NAQT has let us know of their process via R's post.

Rutgers is joining the boycott other teams have initiated unless Matt Bruce is expelled (which will apply to both hosting and playing NAQT sets).

EDIT: I speak for myself, in my capacity as RU's President (having discussed this briefly with my e-board), and do not control every individual on my team. However, Rutgers will not fund anything NAQT-related pending Matt's ejection from the quizbowl world.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 8:15 pm
by nadph
NAQT should expel Matt Bruce as soon as possible, and should consider why it does not have an expedited process for removing someone when there is irrefutable public evidence of them posing a clear and present danger to minors. Stanford's club will discuss the question of boycotting NAQT events at Stanford's practice tonight, and I certainly intend to do this in my personal capacity. We also intend to ensure that Matt Bruce will not be welcome as a staffer or participant at any quizbowl or quizbowl-related events held on Stanford's campus.

UPDATE: Based on a brief discussion among club leadership, I am comfortable saying that Stanford will boycott NAQT in all capacities until Matt Bruce has left the organization. Ali Saeed, on behalf of the club leadership, has signed the boycott statement linked below.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 8:31 pm
by A Dim-Witted Saboteur
I noticed a lot of people expressing similar sentiments in this thread, so I made a google doc to collect the names of everyone who's willing to boycott NAQT until Matt is gone just so there's evidence of how much NAQT is risking if he remains on their staff. Here's a link https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A4G ... sp=sharing

EDIT: Due to issues pointed out on the discord: i.e. people whose livelihoods depend on NAQT are also disgusted by this but it's unfair to ask them to give that up, I've added a page for people who would be unable to sign on to a full boycott but wish to indicate solidarity with its goals. Check the last page of the doc.

EDIT 2: Some asswad was deleting names, so fill in this form if you want your name added https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIp ... sp=sf_link

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 8:39 pm
by Rococo A Go Go
The Kentucky Quizbowl Alliance has decided that we will not do any business with NAQT as long as Matt Bruce is a member of their organization. In practical terms, this means that if Matt remains with NAQT during the upcoming season, we would seek an alternative question source for our high school and middle school state tournaments starting in 2019. We hope that NAQT removes Matt Bruce in a timely fashion for the safety of our community and the integrity of the game.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 9:28 pm
by i never see pigeons in wheeling
The Northern California Quiz Bowl Alliance’s President is a top NAQT member. I have every confidence he’ll do the right thing. That said, if it comes down to it, I will lobby against NAQT tournaments being run in Northern California. Obviously, Matt Bruce is unwelcome at any event here.

Anything else I’d want to say has been said already.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 9:42 pm
by Fado Alexandrino
The Ontario Quizbowl Association will not be involved in hosting NAQT-written sets in the future unless Matt Bruce is released from NAQT and appropriate further measures are taken.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 9:48 pm
by Saltasassi
I really hope that NAQT as an organization takes the words of the community to heart. As a member of the Northern California circuit, I feel like we are particularly threatened by Matt Bruce's presence in NAQT, as it affects us at a regional level on top of the NCTs. (He was present at our mirror of SCT this year, for instance [for the record I nor anyone at Stanford were involved in recruiting staff for SCT], which makes me feel icky in retrospect.) As Nikhil mentioned earlier, Stanford Quiz Bowl will not support NAQT events until he's removed from the organization.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 9:54 pm
by Everything in the Whole Wide World
Speaking as a representative of Greater Pennsylvania Quizbowl: we will no longer advertise or reccomend NAQT or its questions until Matt Bruce is no longer a part of the organization. In keeping with our mission to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for all players, we encourage all Pennsylvanian schools to avoid their products unless the same conditions are met.

Speaking just as myself: I thought NAQT could never mess up as badly as they did with Andy Watkins. I was a fool. This makes question security scandals look trite. I hope NAQT takes a serious look in the mirror to prevent continued incidents that try the trust of myself and others.

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 10:04 pm
by whatamidoinghere
I hope that he gets promptly fired. I don't believe that he should be anywhere near children, and NAQT's continued allowance of Matt Bruce to be in their employment is a stain on NAQT in general. I hope this monster gets lost from all of quizbowl, as his leaving of the entire quizbowl community will make us stronger and allow us to come together as a community.

User was reminded to add a signature. -mgmt

Re: Matt Bruce (cw: sexual assault, pedophilia)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 10:06 pm
by nadph
An Economic Ignoramus wrote:I noticed a lot of people expressing similar sentiments in this thread, so I made a google doc to collect the names of everyone who's willing to boycott NAQT until Matt is gone just so there's evidence of how much NAQT is risking if he remains on their staff. Here's a link https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A4G ... sp=sharing

EDIT: Due to issues pointed out on the discord: i.e. people whose livelihoods depend on NAQT are also disgusted by this but it's unfair to ask them to give that up, I've added a page for people who would be unable to sign on to a full boycott but wish to indicate solidarity with its goals. Check the last page of the doc.
This document has been temporarily changed to read-only due to an anonymous person's attempted vandalism. I hope this person seriously considers what this says about their character. There will be a fix to the submission process shortly.