SFWA Rocked By Rumors Of Scandal As President Jeffe Kennedy Resigns Suddenly

SFWA hasn't been helping science fiction writers for a long time now. This could spell the end of the organization.

SFWA once was an organization of the best and most powerful science fiction writers America had to offer. It boasted the likes of Jerry Pournelle, Harlan Ellison, and Anne McCaffrey, but over the years, the organization became embattled and taken over by woke activists who seemed to care little about making science fiction writing a business, but more about having an online social club to use for their petty identity politics and cancel culture antics.  Now, scandal is rocking SFWA and threatening to destroy the club entirely as their president stepped down and the SFWA board issued a strange statement trying to ease members’ concerns.

The organization used to be known as the Science Fiction Writers of America but has now changed its name to The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association. This subtle change shows how their priorities have shifted over the years to not be about science fiction or American writers, rendering the club nearly useless in regard to any business that might transpire to help professional science fiction authors. 

Over the years, the entry standards have become lax as well, as they prioritized propping up their dwindling numbers over catering to those who were truly professional. Now, an author can obtain full membership simply by demonstrating they’ve sold $1,000 over their total body of work, according to their public website. This level of sales can easily be done by family and friends purchasing their materials and is an amateur-level standard.

But even in membership requirements, SFWA is not transparent and will put politics first. The Membership Committee will cite to prospective members, “SFWA Bylaws section VI.1.c.i gives discretion to the membership credentials committee ‘regardless of qualifications.’” This means they have given memberships to authors who don’t meet the requirements and have shunned authors who are truly professional science fiction authors.

The organization has had its share of non-sci-fi writing and non-professional selling presidents over the last several years as well. Among those in charge have been Cat Rambo and Jeffe Kennedy, both women who sell at amateur levels that would be impossible for them to support themselves on their writing works alone. But now, Jeffe Kennedy has resigned with a statement:  

…I’ve served in this role for over three years and on the Board of Directors for more than seven years. It has been a privilege and an honor to serve this organization.

However, the last several months have been particularly demanding in my personal life, and I have come to the realization that I can no longer provide the focused attention SFWA needs from its President. Without going into too much detail, I continue to be the sole caregiver and financial support for my disabled husband, whose progressive condition is worsening. In addition, my stepfather of twenty years passed away suddenly, widowing my elderly mother for the third time, and I am in the process of taking over all of her finances and care. These family obligations will require far more attention than I could have anticipated when I accepted the nomination to serve a second term as SFWA President.

My legal and fiscal responsibility to SFWA—and my own personal integrity—prevent me from commenting on any issues related to SFWA’s administration and operations. Throughout my tenure I did my best to serve the organization and all of its constituents with sincerity and respect, and to fulfill all of the duties I was elected to perform. Now it is time for me to step back….

Representation of Jeffe Kennedy by professional artist and comic creator, The Quaff

This statement shocked SFWA members and the board alike, who then put out their own statement in an attempt to do damage control:

…Due to the nature of the employee/employer relationship, we do not feel it is ethical or appropriate to make these matters public. Our duties as Board members require us to work in the best interest of SFWA. Our responsibilities as compassionate human beings compel us to seek solutions reflecting our respect for our employees and volunteers. Sometimes, we may fall short, especially when things happen quickly and information is limited. Moving forward, we ask for your patience and trust as we do our best to fulfill our obligations….

…All members received the email from Jeffe Kennedy explaining her resignation as SFWA’s President on Aug 1, 2024. The Board is working with all relevant stakeholders to determine the timeline and process for a special election for president as outlined in the Bylaws. We will share those details as they are finalized. In the interim, SFWA’s elected Vice President, Chelsea Mueller, will fill the office of president.

The Board acknowledges there are several other issues, both ongoing and recent, that have been brought to our attention. Please know that we are listening and we will address your concerns and your suggestions as we move forward. At the center of many of these issues is the need for greater transparency. We cannot comment on legal matters or confidential matters such as Griefcom and the Emergency Medical Fund (EMF). Still, there are many aspects of this organization where we need to improve communications with our membership. There are many good suggestions on how to do this, but most will take time to implement.

Many topics brought to the forefront need to be considered by the Board of Directors with member input. The Board has scheduled upcoming board meetings focusing on and prioritizing these topics…

SFWA members took to BlueSky worried about the club and its efforts, wondering what was going on regarding “employee/employer relationships,” “other issues,” “transparency,” and “legal matters.” 

Some have speculated the legal matters involved reference a rumored $100,000 or more allegedly given to former sci-fi author Patrick S. Tomlinson to unsuccessfully sue a forum of online trolls. The lawsuit was thrown out by a judge as frivolous and Tomlinson was ordered to pay the forum owner, something he dodged for years until he finally settled up with interest in recent months. 

However, problems may go deeper than a non-transparent insane expenditure by the club.

One SFWA member, Katherine Crighton, posted to BlueSky explaining:

There's been a precipitous drop in volunteer staff, through resignations and at least one question-raising termination. The fact that this has been largely obscure/unknown to the majority of the members seems to also be part of this, as much has happened on not-broadly-accessible channels--specifically the Discord server (which, again: un- or underadvertised) and possibly the Board meetings themselves-- which, while minutes are archived, seem to have been going through a long period of also being un- or underadvertised to the general body.

If someone was indeed terminated quietly because of bad behavior, this could spell scandal for SFWA and would explain why Jeffe Kennedy quickly resigned and took flight from the organization. SFWA has had its known advocates for pedophilia as part of the club over the years, as well as those accused of crimes against children, which makes it easy to speculate what might have transpired. 

Regardless, it looks like there are not enough volunteers to keep the club together, which is why SFWA seems to be putting out strange statements in a disorganized manner, and club members can only speculate as to the problems. 

Transparency and upholding no standards have been SFWA’s problem for more than a decade. If incoming president Chelsea Mueller wants to have a club continue in the future, she’s got a lot of work ahead to correct the course of what once was a powerhouse of science fiction. 

What do you think of SFWA president Jeffe Kennedy resigning and implied scandals among the organization? Leave a comment and let us know and restack this post.