Betts 在该日向媒体发布的文章中阐述了不想担任侍酒师大师以及辞职的具体原因，主要有二。

　　其一是Betts 认为当前要求种族平等和社会公正的呼声长期以来一直被忽视，而最近全球正在为其发声，但在CMSA圈子中，部分言论却认为CMSA并非政治组织，希望其保持中立。Betts 认为此为缺乏同情心的表现，并强调称，这是压死他们的最后一根稻草。

Richard Betts MS

　　Betts 说道：“这是不可接受的。从来没有中立的事，一个人的中立就等于被动地认可了现状，而BIPOC（注：一个黑人、土著人以及有色人种的运动）在美国的状况直到现在仍然被人认为是恐怖的。”

　　其二是Betts 认为CMSA机构在2018年那桩震惊业界的作弊丑闻的处理方式上不合理。

　　2018年10月，侍酒师大师协会董事会的总裁Devon Broglie MS在发给考生的信件中表示：侍酒师大师协会美洲分会的一位成员在考试前泄露了今年侍酒师大师Diploma试卷盲品部分的机密信息，并宣布23名新通过的侍酒师大师被取消资格。

　　Betts 认为这种取消是“不公正”的。并表示对于自己而言，倘若仍然保留该机构的成员身份就是默认该组织及其观点。故而决定辞职。

　　以下是Richard Betts MS的完整声明。

　　This is not a decision that I take lightly, nor would it be accurate to characterize my resignation as one of “giving up.” I am doing this only after expending a great deal of time, energy, and my own capital in an effort to affect change in the organization.

　　I’ve served as a board member and have taught dozens of courses and exams over the past 17 years, and I’ve always trusted that the organization’s by-laws and code of ethics would serve the membership well. Regretfully I’ve come to understand that those by-laws have evolved in such a manner as to effectively prevent all but the old guard from running for the board of directors which is responsible for shaping policy. This is not the stance of a progressive or inclusive organization, it’s one of protectionism affording no reasonable opportunity for change on anything less than an extremely protracted timescale. I do not endorse this and hope that my renunciation of the CMSA may somehow abbreviate their timeline for change.

　　I took my first exam with the CMSA in 1997 (CMS then) and passed the Masters exam in 2003 at which time I saw the CMS purely as an educational body. By engaging with the CMS I knew I could better serve my guests while also enjoying learning about something I loved. Somewhere in the interceding 17 years, however, this organization has seemingly evolved from an educational one to an elite accrediting one. I find this disturbing.

　　Recently the discourse has been about “the pin”, “the credential”, and I believe this has come at the expense of hospitality and inclusive education. If “preserving the integrity” of some elite credential is the main priority, which in turn leads us to treat our candidates in an unfair manner, then I want no part of it.

　　The annulled 2018 Masters exam is a glaring example of this paradigm. I believe the CMSA unfairly upended lives and wrongly discredited the moral integrity of the candidates involved, all from a hollow stance of preserving the accreditation. Despite hundreds of hours of work and thousands of dollars of our own money, a few of us current Masters seeking answers have only been stonewalled by the leadership. They have cited a desire for confidentiality, refusing to disclose information about their annulment decision to the membership, while repeatedly stating that the integrity of the credential is paramount.

　　Then we have the present, where the United States is finally having a long overdue reckoning with systemic racism. It is unacceptable that in some CMSA circles there has been rhetoric around not being a political organization and wanting to remain neutral. There is no neutral. By doing nothing, one passively endorses the status quo — and the status quo for BIPOC in America has been, and remains, horrible.

　　To be clear, my actions today are not a condemnation of any individual within the organization. This is painful for me and I imagine it may also be so for my friends, mentors, and colleagues. Some people may also be angry. Will this create a public backlash? Should I fear personal retribution or professional ostracism? Perhaps, although I’d like to imagine that this will not be the case. I acknowledge that people may feel as they choose, and regardless of your choice, I wish you peace and good fortune as you plot a path forward.

　　Finally, I have asked myself what it is I hope this letter will achieve. First, I’m voicing my opinion of dissent in the most effective way available to me today. Second, I am hopeful that my actions will spur others involved with the CMSA — at all levels — to ask themselves what they want from the organization and what it should stand for. Finally, it’s to personally mark my own commitment to work on other meaningful causes I care deeply about where I can affect change.

　　Given the short and precious nature of life, being deliberate about our energies is paramount.

with love,

Richard.

关于Richard Betts MS

　　Richard Betts MS 2003年通过侍酒师大师考试。此前曾在加州“Little Nell”酒店担任侍酒师。

　　据Richard Betts MS自述，在研究生最后一周的答辩论文中所喝的杯葡萄酒，让其回忆起多年前意大利的一顿晚餐，遂放弃了法学院的学业，在Janos餐厅找到了第一份侍酒师的工作。

　　自成为侍酒师大师以来，Richard Betts MS一直专注于为澳大利亚的Dennis Scholl 餐厅以及罗纳河谷的 CO restaurant Frasca 餐厅担任葡萄酒的相关工作，并在波尔多从事酿酒事务。