Sustainability Unconference Anti-Harassment Policy

The Sustainability Unconference has adopted a zero tolerance policy for harassment of any kind.

The Sustainability Unconference is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. While the unconference format allows participants to create the agenda for the day, sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any conference venue, including talks, workshops, sponsorship materials, and presentations. Conference participants violating these rules WILL BE EXPELLED FROM THE CONFERENCE WITHOUT A REFUND at the sole discretion of the conference organizers.

Harassment includes verbal comments that reinforce social structures of domination related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion; sexual images in public spaces; deliberate intimidation; stalking; following; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or other events; inappropriate physical contact; and unwelcome sexual attention. Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

Exhibitors in the expo hall, sponsor or vendor booths, or similar activities are also subject to the anti-harassment policy. In particular, exhibitors should not use sexualized images, activities, or other material. Booth staff (including volunteers) should not use sexualized clothing/uniforms/costumes, or otherwise create a sexualized environment.

If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the conference organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the conference with no refund. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of conference staff immediately. Conference staff can be identified found at the front desk, and helping participants throughout the event.

Conference staff will be happy to help participants contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We value your attendance. If you need to contact event staff to report any harassment, please do not hesitate to do so:

(808) 312-0850

scott@importantmedia.org

In the event of any concerns of health repercussions during the event, please immediately dial 911.

We expect participants to follow these rules at all conference venues and conference-related social events.

Reporting and Our Staff

Our staff has been trained in handling harassment incidents. In general, here is our internal policies for our staff as well as the general public to understand how we will handle incidences of harassment reported or observed.

Warnings

Any member of conference staff can issue a verbal warning to a participant that their behavior violates the conference’s anti-harassment policy. Warnings should be reported to conference organizer Scott Cooney (phone and email listed above) as soon as practical. The report should include:

Identifying information (name/badge number) of the participant
The time you issued the warning
The behavior that was in violation
The approximate time of the behavior (if different than the time of warning)
The circumstances surrounding the incident
Your identity
Other people involved in the incident

Presentations

Presentations or similar events should not be stopped for one-time gaffes or minor problems, although a member of conference staff should speak to the presenter afterward. However, staff should take immediate action to politely and calmly stop any presentation or event that repeatedly or seriously violates the anti-harassment policy. For example, simply say “I’m sorry, this presentation cannot be continued at the present time” with no further explanation.

Taking reports

When taking a report from someone experiencing harassment you should record what they say and reassure them they are being taken seriously, but avoid making specific promises about what actions the organizers will take. Ask for any other information if the reporter has not volunteered it (such as time, place) but do not pressure them to provide it if they are reluctant. Even if the report lacks important details such as the identity of the person taking the harassing actions, it should still be recorded and passed along to the appropriate staff member(s). If the reporter desires it, arrange for an escort by conference staff or a trusted person, contact a friend, and contact local law enforcement. Do not pressure the reporter to take any action if they do not want to do it. Respect the reporter’s privacy by not sharing unnecessary details with others, especially individuals who were not involved with the situation or non-staff members.

The report should include: Identifying information (name/badge number) of the participant The time you issued the warning The behavior that was in violation The approximate time of the behavior (if different than the time of warning) The circumstances surrounding the incident Your identity Other people involved in the incident

Expulsion

A participant may be expelled by the decision of any of the above listed entities for whatever reasons they deem sufficient. However, here are some general guidelines for when a participant should be expelled:

A first offense resulting in a warning from staff
Continuing to harass after any “No” or “Stop” instruction
A pattern of harassing behavior, with or without warnings
A single serious offense (e.g., punching or groping someone)
A single obviously intentional offense (e.g., taking up-skirt photos)

Hotel/venue security and local authorities should be contacted when appropriate.

Public statements

As a general rule, conference staff should not make any public statements about the behavior of individual people during or after the conference.

In general, consult with other staff members when possible but act when necessary.

Attribution

This anti-harassment policy is based on the example policy from the Geek Feminism wiki, created by the Ada Initiative and other volunteers.

This policy is based on several other policies, including the Ohio LinuxFest anti-harassment policy, written by Esther Filderman and Beth Lynn Eicher, and the Con Anti-Harassment Project. Mary Gardiner, Valerie Aurora, Sarah Smith, and Donna Benjamin generalized the policies and added supporting material. Many members of LinuxChix, Geek Feminism and other groups contributed to this work.