Olympic Volunteers Get Shafted by SLOC

Yes, I do agree that some ingrates (Wayment) make it appear that we are an unduly sue-happy society, however the fact is that we are more a let’s-not-take-responsibility-and-see-how-much-we-can-shaft-the-little-guy society. To illustrate this, in September, before I could enroll my child in preschool, I was handed a release to sign. In October, prior to renewing my driver's license, the Utah DMV required me to sign a release. In November, I volunteered to host an Olympic couple and was obligated to sign a release. Then, after about a hundred hours of training and committing to shut down my law practice, within minutes of proudly obtaining my Olympic volunteer uniform and ID, SLOC shoved yet another release before me to sign or be sent straight to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Big deal, quit whining, it’s necessary you say. But here's the rub. I'm piqued and I want to burn the SLOC Olympic flag. Why? Although most Olympic volunteers didn’t read it or didn't understand it, the releases they so dutifully signed, as well as the releases mentioned above, all had language that in essence means, "If SLOC, the Olympic sponsors or their agents, pals, relatives, hit men, goons kill, maim, injure, burn, run over, suffocate, shoot, molest or in any manner harm you, whether acting negligently or otherwise, you release them from any liability and if you try to sue anyway, you agree to forfeit your left kidney."

Granted, the releases at issue here were more diplomatically stated. Nonetheless, take the SLOC release you volunteers signed to any attorney and you will find that my tongue and cheek interpretation is dead on. But what really gets my goat is the element of force. I didn't sign the release to enroll my child because I could go elsewhere. However, I had to get my license from the DMV and what choice did I have with SLOC's coercive timing? We volunteers had already signed a relatively palatable release before we started so why the last minute ambush? Because it was a con.

Contrarily, would SLOC agree if we asked it to release us volunteers from any similar liability? No. SLOC wouldn't blink an eye about suing any volunteer if he or she negligently, or otherwise, caused it or the Olympic sponsors harm. So why did we Olympic volunteers sign SLOC's release? Answer: Baaaa.

To end, I challenge Mitt Romney and anyone who thinks I am a whiner to sign this editorial and return it to me. By so doing you agree that, "If I or my agents, pals, relatives, hit men, goons kill, maim, injure, bum, run over, suffocate, shoot, molest or in any manner harm you, whether acting negligently or otherwise, you release me from any liability and if you try to sue anyway, you agree to forfeit your left kidney." Fair enough?

Loren M. Lambert
Proud To Be an Olympic Volunteer
January 22, 2002 ©