Enforcement Code of Contact

Code of conduct enforcement guidelines and procedure Members of the steering committee will follow these Community Impact Guidelines in determining the consequences for any action they deem in violation of this Code of Conduct:

  1. Correction

Community Impact: Use of inappropriate language or other behavior deemed unprofessional or unwelcome in the community. Consequence: A private, written warning from members of the steering committee, providing clarity around the nature of the violation and an explanation of why the behavior was inappropriate. A public apology may be requested.

  1. Warning

Community Impact: A violation through a single incident or series of actions. Consequence: A warning with consequences for continued behavior. No interaction with the people involved, including unsolicited interaction with those enforcing the Code of Conduct, for a specified period of time. This includes avoiding interactions in community spaces as well as external channels like social media. Violating these terms may lead to a temporary or permanent ban.

  1. Temporary Ban

Community Impact: A serious violation of community standards, including sustained inappropriate behavior. Consequence: A temporary ban from any sort of interaction or public communication with the community for a specified period of time. No public or private interaction with the people involved, including unsolicited interaction with those enforcing the Code of Conduct, is allowed during this period. Violating these terms may lead to a permanent ban.

  1. Permanent Ban

Community Impact: Demonstrating a pattern of violation of community standards, including sustained inappropriate behavior, harassment of an individual, or aggression toward or disparagement of classes of individuals. Consequence: A permanent ban from any sort of public interaction within the community.

Procedure: What happens when we are made aware of violations of the Code of Conduct?

  1. Two members of the steering committee (one male, one female) are named as those responsible for following up on the incident. If possible, they should be chosen to be as objective as possible without any conflicts of interest, e.g. they should not be friends or colleagues of either of the parties involved in the incident.
  2. We ask the reporter of the incident to fill in information for the Memorandum below.
  3. The two responsible SC members talk to both the reporter and the person accused of CoC violations and ensure to hear both sides fairly. They try to mediate between the two parties and see whether an acceptable solution for both can be found.
  4. If no solution can be found, the two SC members decide, which stage of the enforcement guidelines of the CoC would be deemed appropriate for the incident. If they agree on a course of action, this will be followed. If they do not agree, the incident will be discussed at the next meeting of the SC where all SC members then decide on the appropriate course of action. SC members with a conflict of interest (e.g. friends or collaborators of one of the parties involved) are not allowed to vote on the appropriate course of action.
  5. At all stages of the process both the reporter and person accused of CoC violations will be kept informed of the steps that are being taken and decision-making around the appropriate course of action will be communicated clearly and objectively.

Memorandum

A memorandum is helpful for asserting the rights of protection against discrimination. It should be based on facts, not assumptions and it is important to be as precise as possible.

  • Where did the incident happen?
  • When did the incident happen?
  • Who discriminated?
  • What happened? Please describe the situation as precisely as possible in chronological order.
  • On what grounds may it be presumed that discrimination has taken place?
  • Who else was involved? Who can testify to the incident?
  • What evidence or proof exists?