The Policy
MISDOOM 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, ethnicity, nationality, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. Conference participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference without a refund at the discretion of the conference organizers.
Harassment includes, but is not limited to:
- 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, ethnicity, and nationality
- Sexual images in public spaces
- Deliberate intimidation, stalking or following
- Harassing photography or recording
- Sustained disruption of talks or other events
- Inappropriate physical contact
- Unwelcome sexual attention
- Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior
Enforcement
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.
If a participant engages in harassing behavior, event 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 with no refund.
Event organizers may take action to redress anything designed to, or with the clear impact of, disrupting the event or making the environment hostile for any participants.
We expect participants to follow these rules at all event venues and event-related social activities. We think people should follow these rules outside event activities too!
Reporting
If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it to conference staff as soon as possible. Conference staff can be identified by indicators on their badges. Harassment and other code of conduct violations reduce the value of our event for everyone. We want you to be happy at our event. People like you make our event a better place. You can make a report either personally or anonymously.
Anonymous Report
You can make an anonymous report here [need a link to the form that DOES NOT require an email address to submit.]
We can’t follow up on 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:
- Calling or messaging this phone number: [Phone number for reporting]. This phone number will be continuously monitored for the duration of the event.
- Contacting a staff member (identified on their conference badge).
When taking a personal report, our staff will ensure you are safe and cannot be overheard. They may involve other event staff to ensure your report is managed properly. Once safe, we’ll ask you to tell us about what happened. This can be upsetting, but we’ll handle it as respectfully as possible, and you can bring someone to support you. You won’t be asked to confront anyone and we won’t tell anyone who you are.
Our team will be happy to help you contact hotel/venue security, local law enforcement, local support services, provide escorts, or otherwise assist you to feel safe for the duration of the event. We value your attendance.
[Email address for organizers]
[Phone number for conference security or organizers]
[Phone number for venue security]
[Local law enforcement]
[Local sexual assault hotline]
[Local emergency and non-emergency medical (e.g., urgent care, day clinic)]
[Local taxi company]
Internal version for conference staff
This version is intended for internal use by the conference staff. It defines an example enforcement policy that can be tweaked to suit your conference organization style.
Warnings
- Identifying information 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
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 [insert email address/phone number/etc. here] 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 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, or 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 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 second 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.
[Email address for organizers]
[Phone number for conference security or organizers]
[Phone number for venue security]
[Local law enforcement]
[Local sexual assault hotline]
[Local emergency and non-emergency medical (e.g., urgent care, day clinic)]
[Local taxi company]
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.
Our anti-harassment policy can be found at: