I want to clearly state that Ethan is not going around randomly touching people, patting them on the back or head duck-duck-goose style. I'm not looking for vindication or to prove my son's innocence. Here are some considerations for public transparency: - He had previously played against them at other regionals - He thought this was a friend or acquaintance and had conversations with them at subsequent regionals - He sat next to this person and said good luck to them during phase 1 at Orlando in an amicable fashion - Wanted to say good luck to them for their win-and-in round Ethan was never told or given any indication that this person was not a friend, uncomfortable, or did not want any interaction with them. At least not to his knowledge. This situation could have possibly been addressed through a kid-to-kid or parent-to-parent interaction, e.g. "I'm not comfortable talking to you or interacting with you", or "I do not consider you a friend" or "Please stay away from my child". We had no such warning or conversation between families or even mediation from the judges. My view as a parent is that this outcome has created a massive ripple in the community and for families. This could have happened to any one of the kids we know. We're all having conversations now about who you can trust and who you can or should be friends with. This is creating unintended emotional distress and paranoia about what can or will be considered acceptable or safe interactions. This situation completely erodes the perception of psychological safety, family friendliness, approachability and trust throughout the community. This has severe implications on the weaponization for the standards of conduct vs the spirit of the game and positive intent. Why should I risk and broaden my child's exposure to new people and friendships that could backfire on him? One of the most beautiful things that Pokemon had was that you could meet players from all around the world, discover your love of Pokemon together, compete and establish new friendships. Maybe you'd get to see each other at the next regional or IC or worlds and celebrate each other's accomplishments. It's delightful to see the kids cheering each other on, roaming the halls and eating ice cream together and playing video games and tag or trading plushies. Many people know that I am a strong proponent for the merits of Pokemon and the growth framework that it provides for the kids. It puts them in the driver's seat for their own self-improvement, develops resilience and pushes them to become determined to reach their goals. This could have been a private learning opportunity between families but has escalated to the general community. Ethan has already come to terms with the situation. He accepts full responsibility for touching someone who didn't want to be touched. He accepts that if his actions created anxiety or hurt someone, then his disqualification is appropriate. He understands that this ruling will help to inform the broader community about consent and boundaries, and ideally creates a safer space for all families and participants. I am proud of my son for his character, his integrity, his kindness, and his maturity and willingness to learn from this situation. I hope you all got a chance to witness this in his interview with Pokemon this past weekend.