2.10 WAEA Anti-Discrimination/Anti-Harassment Policy
WAEA is dedicated to providing a great conference/event experience for everyone, regardless of gender, sexuality, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, or religion. For this reason, we will not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment of conference participants. Participants found to be engaging in harassment may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference. We expect participants to follow these rules at all conference venues and conference-related social events.
What is harassment?
Harassment includes:
Participants asked to stop harassing behavior must comply immediately. If a participant engages in discriminatory or harassing behavior, conference organizers retain the right to take any actions to keep the event a welcoming environment for all participants. This includes warning the offender or expulsion from the conference.
WAEA is dedicated to providing a great conference/event experience for everyone, regardless of gender, sexuality, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, or religion. For this reason, we will not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment of conference participants. Participants found to be engaging in harassment may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference. We expect participants to follow these rules at all conference venues and conference-related social events.
What is harassment?
Harassment includes:
- Offensive verbal comments about gender, sexuality, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, or religion
- Showing sexual images in public spaces. Discussion or images related to sex, discriminatory language, or similar is welcome if:
- Organizers have specifically granted permission in writing
- It is necessary to the topic of discussion and no alternative exists
- It is presented in a respectful manner, especially towards women and LGBTQIA+ people; and
- Attendees are warned in advance and respectfully given ample warning and opportunity to leave beforehand.
- Intimidation, stalking, or following
- Photographing or recording someone against their consent
- Sustained disruption of talks or other events
- Uninvited physical contact
- Uninvited sexual attention
Participants asked to stop harassing behavior must comply immediately. If a participant engages in discriminatory or harassing behavior, conference organizers retain the right to take any actions to keep the event a welcoming environment for all participants. This includes warning the offender or expulsion from the conference.
Reporting
If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as soon as possible. Harassment and other code-of-conduct violations reduce the value of our conference for everyone. You can make a report either personally or anonymously.
Anonymous report:
Personal report:
You can make a personal report by:
Our team will be happy to help you contact venue security, local law enforcement, or local support services. We can also provide escorts or otherwise assist you to feel safe for the duration of the event. We value your attendance.
SAGE (Safety Advocacy Growth Empowerment) sexual assault crisis line: (509) 663-7446
Crisis Text-line: text HELLO to 741741
Harassment Response (for conference/event organizers/volunteers)Warnings
Any member of conference organizers or volunteers can issue a verbal warning to a participant that their behavior violates the conference’s anti-harassment/anti-discrimination policy. Warnings should be reported to the Accessibility Coordinator ([email protected] or the Accessibility Table) as soon as practical.
The report should include:
Presentations
Presentations or similar events should not be stopped for one-time gaffes or minor problems, although a conference organizer should speak to the presenter afterwards. However, organizers/volunteers should take immediate action to politely and calmly stop any presentation or event that repeatedly or seriously violates the anti-harassment/anti-discrimination policy.
Taking reports
When taking a report from someone experiencing harassment, you should:
Do not:
Your report (written or via online tool) should include:
Expulsion
A participant may be expelled by the decision of the conference/event organizers for whatever reasons they deem sufficient. However, here are some general guidelines for when a participant should be expelled:
Public statements
As a general rule, conference/event organizers or volunteers should not make any public statements about the behavior of individual people during or after an event.
If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as soon as possible. Harassment and other code-of-conduct violations reduce the value of our conference for everyone. You can make a report either personally or anonymously.
Anonymous report:
- You can make an anonymous report online (coming soon) and choose not to include your contact information.
- We can’t follow up an anonymous report with you directly, but we will fully investigate it and take whatever action is necessary to prevent a recurrence.
Personal report:
You can make a personal report by:
- Reporting online (coming soon) and including your contact information
- Contacting a conference/event organizer directly
- Speaking with a representative at the Accessibility Table
Our team will be happy to help you contact venue security, local law enforcement, or local support services. We can also provide escorts or otherwise assist you to feel safe for the duration of the event. We value your attendance.
SAGE (Safety Advocacy Growth Empowerment) sexual assault crisis line: (509) 663-7446
Crisis Text-line: text HELLO to 741741
Harassment Response (for conference/event organizers/volunteers)Warnings
Any member of conference organizers or volunteers can issue a verbal warning to a participant that their behavior violates the conference’s anti-harassment/anti-discrimination policy. Warnings should be reported to the Accessibility Coordinator ([email protected] or the Accessibility Table) as soon as practical.
The report should include:
- Identifying information of the offending participant (name, etc.)
- 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
- You can write all of this information down, or use the Survey reporting tool: coming soon
Presentations
Presentations or similar events should not be stopped for one-time gaffes or minor problems, although a conference organizer should speak to the presenter afterwards. However, organizers/volunteers should take immediate action to politely and calmly stop any presentation or event that repeatedly or seriously violates the anti-harassment/anti-discrimination policy.
Taking reports
When taking a report from someone experiencing harassment, you should:
- Record what they say as specifically as possible
- Reassure the reporter they are being taken seriously
- Ask if they would like their name associated with the report, or if you should make it anonymously
- Ask for specific information about the incident (including time and place) if they do not offer it, but do not pressure them to provide it if reluctant
- Ask if they would like an escort by conference organizers, help contacting a friend, or help contacting a crisis center or local law enforcement
- Other people involved in the incident
- The victim and/or reporter’s name, if disclosed
Do not:
- Make specific promises about what actions the organizers will take
- Pressure the reporter to give any information or take any action they do not want to
- Contact local law enforcement without the reporter’s consent, except in cases where there is immediate danger of physical harm
- Share details of the incident with anyone other than the conference organizer to whom you give the report, or additional organizers if requested
- Leave your written report in an area where others can read it
Your report (written or via online tool) should include:
- Identifying information of the offending participant (name, etc.)
- 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
- The victim and/or reporter’s name, if disclosed
Expulsion
A participant may be expelled by the decision of the conference/event organizers for whatever reasons they deem sufficient. However, here are some general guidelines for when a participant should be expelled:
- A third offense resulting in a warning from staff/volunteers
- 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)
Public statements
As a general rule, conference/event organizers or volunteers should not make any public statements about the behavior of individual people during or after an event.
