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BESS' Safe Space Policy
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Safe Space Policy Definitions and Synopsis
Definitions
BESS
The Baltimore Educational and Social Society, Inc. shall be referred to throughout this document as BESS.
BESS Representative
A BESS Representative is any BESS Officer, BESS Director, BESS Team Leader or BESS appointed Dungeon Master.
BESS Event
A BESS Event is any function that is sanctioned and sponsored by BESS, is administered or supervised directly by a BESS Representative, and where access is controlled by BESS to the space where the function is being held. This includes, but is not limited to, BESS educational meetings, BESS socials, BESS-maintained e-mail lists, BESS board meetings, BESS business meetings and other scheduled BESS events. It does not include BESS SIG (Special Interest Group) events, BESS munches in public venues, parking lots adjacent to BESS Events, private correspondence (physical and / or electronic), phone calls, private parties and all other events where the facility is not controlled by BESS or the event does not otherwise conform with the definition of a BESS Event.
Attendee
An Attendee is anyone present at a BESS Event, which includes but is not limited to Contributors, guests, BESS Representatives, BESS team members, BESS volunteers and other staff.
Safe Space
Safe Space is an environment where all Attendees are free of the deliberate creation of threats, intimidation, harassment and / or physically unsafe conditions. BESS endeavors to provide Safe Space at all BESS Events.
Safe Space Policy
The Safe Space Policy lays out definitions and procedures for maintaining Safe Space, and the consequences of violating Safe Space. During any BESS Event, any actions that violate the definition of Safe Space will not be tolerated. The Safe Space Policy is in effect at all BESS Events. The Safe Space Policy is laid out in two documents: the Safe Space Policy, Definitions and Synopsis document (this one), and the Safe Space Policy Procedures document.
The definitions listed in this document are authoritative for the Safe Space Policy, and the Safe Space Policy Procedures document is the authoritative source for the procedures followed related to the Safe Space Policy. The synopsis supplied in this document is to summarize the actual procedures followed within the Safe Space Policy. It is not intended to be a complete detailing of those procedures, nor is it an authoritative source on how the Safe Space Policy will be carried out. In any case where there is confusion between this Synopsis and the full Safe Space Procedures document on how the Safe Space Policy should be carried out, the Procedures document takes precedence. The Safe Space Policy Procedures document is available upon request and on the BESS web site.
The full extent of the Safe Space Policy is contained in these two documents. This Safe Space Policy countermands any and all policies, procedures and rulings regarding Safe Space or affairs related to Safe Space. Any document that contains policies, procedures and / or rulings regarding Safe Space has those portions declared null and void by this document. EXCEPTION: this Safe Space Policy is NOT retroactive, and the actions put into effect from previous Safe Space Policy actions still hold.
NOTE: the terms "Safe Space", �Safe Space Policy", "safe" and �safety� do not imply that BESS guarantees the physical, financial, emotional or psychological safety and / or well being of Attendees. Each Attendee is ultimately responsible for their own safety and well being. Also, nothing in the Safe Space Policy should be construed to limit any Attendees normal legal and civil rights.
Ombudsman
A BESS officer, elected directly by the Contributorship as specified in section 3.01 of the BESS Bylaws. The primary responsibility of the Ombudsman is to serve as a neutral party in actions between the Board of Directors and the Contributorship, in particular in the execution of the Safe Space Policy. The Ombudsman can not be barred from any actions relating to the execution of the Safe Space Policy.
Synopsis
Immediate Action Plan
At any BESS Event should any Attendee feel that the actions of another Attendee violates the definition of Safe Space, they should bring the concern to a BESS Representative as soon as possible. Additionally, if any Attendee is acting in a way that prevents the orderly execution of a BESS Event and is not following the directions of a BESS Representative attempting to correct the situation, the involved BESS Representative may find the involved Attendee to be in violation of Safe Space.
If a potential Safe Space violation is found to be invalid, the BESS Representative involved informs the Attendee reporting it that the issue at hand is not a Safe Space violation and that they will need to resolve the issue outside of the confines of the BESS Event, ignore the issue and / or leave the BESS Event, as the reporting Attendee sees fit.
Once a Safe Space violation is validated, BESS Representatives implementing an Immediate Action Plan take actions as appropriate. At no time while implementing an Immediate Action Plan should any BESS Representative become involved in ANY physical altercation. Should any physical altercation and / or violence occur, the police will be contacted. If the police are called to deal with a situation at a BESS Event, all BESS Representatives in attendance will make a best effort to advise all Attendees at the BESS Event that the police are on their way and that they should act accordingly.
Formal Safe Space Complaint
Should any Attendee that is a Contributor feel that they were the victim of a violation of Safe Space at a BESS Event, and that the incident was not satisfactorily resolved at the BESS Event, they may file a Formal Safe Space Complaint. Additionally, any BESS Representative that feels that an incident that resulted in an Immediate Action Plan that requires additional review and / or action may file a Formal Safe Space Compliant in regards to the incident. All Formal Safe Space Complaints will be reviewed by the Board of Directors based on the merits of the complaint at the next scheduled BESS board meeting. Should the Formal Safe Space Complaint be found to have merit, a Safe Space Judicial Action will be started.
If an Attendee�s submission of a Formal Safe Space Complaint is found to be without merit by the Board of Directors, the Attendee may appeal this decision to the Ombudsman. If the Ombudsman decides that the Formal Safe Space Complaint does have merit, a Safe Space Judicial Action will be started.
Safe Space Judicial Action
Once a Safe Space Judicial Action has been started, the Board of Directors must vote on whether a temporary ban of any involved Attendee is required. While the temporary ban is in effect, the banned Attendee may not attend any BESS Event. Note: there is no appeal process for a temporary ban.
The Board of Directors must contact all parties listed in the Formal Safe Space Complaint via email and inform them that they have been named in a Safe Space Judicial Action. Once all testimony and statements have been taken, the Board of Directors will meet to deliver a determination of the Safe Space Judicial Action. Once the Board of Directors is ready, a vote is held on whether the defendant is guilty of violating Safe Space. If the defendant is found to be guilty of violating Safe Space, the Board of Directors must then vote on the appropriate action to take.
The submitter of the Formal Safe Space Complaint and the defendant can both appeal the decisions of the board to the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will then meet with the BESS President and BESS Vice President to form a Review Panel. If the Review Panel decides the results of the Safe Space Judicial Action were inappropriate the Ombudsman will contact the Board of Directors via email and inform the board that they are requesting a review of the Safe Space Judicial Action.
During a review of a Safe Space Judicial Action, the Ombudsman can contact other witness and collect additional testimony and / or statements. Once the Board of Directors is ready, a vote is held on whether the defendant is guilty of violating Safe Space. If the defendant is found to be guilty of violating Safe Space, the Board of Directors must then vote on the appropriate action to take. A new action may be selected by the Board of Directors. At this point in the process, no further appeal is possible.
Safe Space Policy Procedures
Procedures
Immediate Action Plan
At any BESS Event should any Attendee feel that the actions of another Attendee violates the definition of Safe Space, they should bring the concern to a BESS Representative as soon as possible. Additionally, if any Attendee is acting in a way that prevents the orderly execution of a BESS Event and is not following the directions of a BESS Representative attempting to correct the situation, the involved BESS Representative may find the involved Attendee to be in violation of Safe Space. All BESS Representatives are empowered and authorized to implement an Immediate Action Plan in response to any potential or actual violation of Safe Space. Further, all BESS Representatives are required to implement an Immediate Action Plan in any situation which, in their own judgment, poses a real and immediate hazardous condition that affects the Attendees.
The first step in implementing an Immediate Action Plan is to access the validity of a potential Safe Space violation. If a potential Safe Space violation is found to be invalid, the BESS Representative involved informs the Attendee reporting it that the issue at hand is not a Safe Space violation and that they will need to resolve the issue outside of the confines of the BESS Event, ignore the issue and / or leave the BESS Event, as the reporting Attendee sees fit. All Safe Space violations reported by BESS Representatives are automatically considered valid.
Once a Safe Space violation is validated, actions available to BESS Representatives implementing an Immediate Action Plan are �
1. If possible and appropriate, act as a mediator between the involved Attendees, if this will result in a termination of the Safe Space violation and it acceptable to all involved Attendees.
2. If mediation is not possible or appropriate, issue a verbal warning to the Attendees that are in violation of Safe Space. Request that the violating Attendees either discontinue the violating activity altogether or at least wait until after the BESS Event is over or leave the BESS Event long enough to resolve the issue, as appropriate. If one or more of the involved Attendees are unable or unwilling to discontinue the violating activity, advise the involved Attendees that they will have to leave the BESS Event.
3. If both mediation and a verbal warning have proven either ineffective or are inappropriate for the situation, inform the Attendee violating Safe Space that they will need to leave the BESS Event. If this is necessary, the BESS Representative must obtain approval from the Team responsible for the BESS Event before ejecting anyone.
4. Regardless of the action taken to resolve the issue, if the BESS Representative implementing the Immediate Action Plan feels the issue requires additional action or review, they should file a Formal Safe Space Complaint.
When implementing an Immediate Action Plan, the Ombudsman should be involved if they are on hand. Also, the results of all Immediate Action Plans should be communicated to the Board of Directors as soon as possible after the end of the BESS Event in which they occur. At no time while implementing an Immediate Action Plan should any BESS Representative become involved in ANY physical altercation. Should any physical altercation and / or violence occur, the police will be contacted. The only other time the police should be contacted is if an Immediate Action Plan is unsuccessful in resolving a situation, or an Immediate Action Plan is not appropriate for resolving a situation, and the situation either a) threatens the immediate physical safety of the Attendees or the facility the BESS Event is being held in, or b) prevents the continuation of the BESS Event. The Team responsible for the BESS Event will inform the facility�s staff before contacting the police. If the police are called to deal with a situation at a BESS Event, all BESS Representatives in attendance will make a best effort to advise all Attendees at the BESS Event that the police are on their way and that they should act accordingly.
Formal Safe Space Complaint
Should any Attendee that is also a Contributor feel that they were the victim of a violation of Safe Space at a BESS Event, and that the incident was not satisfactorily resolved at the BESS Event, they may file a Formal Safe Space Complaint. Attendees that are not Contributors may not file a Formal Safe Space Complaint, though they may have a Contributor file one in their behalf. If a Contributor files a Formal Safe Space Complaint on someone else�s behalf, the Contributor is considered the submitter of the Complaint. Additionally, any BESS Representative that feels that an incident that resulted in an Immediate Action Plan that requires additional review and / or action may file a Formal Safe Space Compliant in regards to the incident. This Formal Safe Space Complaint will be submitted, via email, to the email address listed on the BESS website for Formal Safe Space Complaints. This address will deliver the complaint to both the Ombudsman and the Board of Directors. This email must be sent within 15 days of the incident for it to be considered.
The Formal Safe Space Complaint needs to contain the following information �
1. A description of the event, including why the person submitting the Formal Safe Space Complaint feels that it was a violation of Safe Space
2. Sufficient information to identify the Attendee accused of violating Safe Space
3. Sufficient information to identify the Attendee submitting the Formal Safe Space Complaint, including an email address that BESS can use to contact the Attendee in regards to this Formal Safe Space Complaint
4. Sufficient information to identify any Attendee(s) that can act as witnesses
Once received, the Board of Directors and the Ombudsman will separately acknowledge receipt of the Formal Safe Space Complaint within 15 days by email. All Formal Safe Space Complaints will be reviewed by the Board of Directors based on the merits of the complaint at the next scheduled BESS board meeting. This review will be performed in Executive Session, as detailed in Section 2.11 of the BESS by-laws. Should the Formal Safe Space Complaint be found to have merit, a Safe Space Judicial Action will be started. If the Formal Safe Space Complaint is found to not have merit, the Attendee that submitted the Formal Safe Space Complaint will be contacted by email and informed of the Board of Directors� decision, and this email will include an explanation of why the Formal Safe Space Complaint will not proceed to a Safe Space Judicial Action.
If an Attendee�s submission of a Formal Safe Space Complaint is found to be without merit by the Board of Directors, the Attendee may appeal this decision to the Ombudsman by contacting the Ombudsman using the email address listed for the Ombudsman on the BESS web site. This request for appeal must be made within 15 days of when the Attendee was sent email to inform them that the Formal Safe Space Complaint would not proceed to a Safe Space Judicial Action. The Attendee will resend the same information submitted in the original Formal Safe Space Complaint, and will include the email sent to them by the Board of Directors when their original Formal Safe Space Complaint was rejected. They should also include any additional information they feel would dictate to the Ombudsman that the Formal Safe Space Complaint should actually go to a Safe Space Judicial Action. Once received, the Ombudsman will acknowledge receipt of the Formal Safe Space Complaint appeal within 15 days by email. The Ombudsman will then review the Formal Safe Space Complaint, the rejection email as well as any additional information provided and make a decision. If the Ombudsman decides the Formal Safe Space Complaint still does not merit a Safe Space Judicial Action, the Attendee that submitted the Formal Safe Space Complaint will be contacted by email and informed of the Ombudsman�s decision, and this email will include an explanation of why the Formal Safe Space Complaint will not proceed to a Safe Space Judicial Action. If the Ombudsman decides that the Formal Safe Space Complaint does have merit, the Ombudsman will inform the Board of Directors of this at the next scheduled BESS board meeting and a Safe Space Judicial Action will be started.
If the Attendee submitting a Formal Safe Space Complaint is unsatisfied with the decision by both the Board of Directors and the Ombudsman to not follow up the Attendee�s Formal Safe Space Complaint with a Safe Space Judicial Action, the Attendee does have the right to deal with the issue via the process outlined in sections 4.03 to 4.06 of the BESS bylaws.
Safe Space Judicial Action
Once a Safe Space Judicial Action has been started, the Board of Directors must vote on whether a temporary ban of any involved Attendee is required. This vote is held during the same Executive Session in which the decision was made to start a Safe Space Judicial Action. A temporary ban is only intended for and appropriate when one of the involved Attendees represents a clear and present danger to some of the other Attendees and / or BESS as a whole. A temporary ban will only be in effect until a resolution of the Safe Space Judicial Action is found. While the temporary ban is in effect, the banned Attendee may not attend any BESS Event. A temporary ban requires a 2/3 majority vote of the Board of Directors. Note: there is no appeal process for a temporary ban.
After the vote on any temporary bans has been concluded and the Executive Session has been closed, the Board of Directors must contact all parties listed in the Formal Safe Space Complaint via email and inform them that they have been named in a Safe Space Judicial Action, as a defendant (the Attendee accused of violating Safe Space), a witness or as the submitter of the Formal Safe Space Complaint, without naming anyone else in the Formal Safe Space Complaint or any other details about the complaint. All parties contacted will be informed that everything regarding the Safe Space Judicial Action is to be held in confidence. The Ombudsman will receive carbon copies of all of these emails sent out. These initiating emails will also contain the location and dates of three meetings over the next 45 days (two interim meetings and the next BESS Board meeting) of the Board of Directors to hear testimony and take statements, and instructions for those contacted to respond back to the Board of Directors stating which meeting they will be attending, with carbon copies of the responses sent to the Ombudsman. If necessary, the various Attendees can be scheduled to come to separate meetings as to avoid interaction between hostile parties.
The Board of Directors will attempt to contact all involved parties via email, making up to three attempts over 15 days. If the submitter of the Formal Safe Space Complaint can not be contacted, or is unable or unwilling to attend any of the three meetings, the Safe Space Judicial Action will be closed. If any witness can not be contacted, or is unable or unwilling to attend any of the three meetings, they will be dropped from the Safe Space Judicial Action. If the defendant can not be contacted, or is unable or unwilling to attend any of the three meetings, the Safe Space Judicial Action will proceed without their input, but they will still be subject to findings of the Safe Space Judicial Action. The Board of Directors may also contact any other Attendee from the BESS Event in question that the Board of Directors feels will have useful testimony and / or statements.
All testimony and / or statements relating to a Safe Space Judicial Action will be taken during Executive Session, as detailed in Section 2.11 of the BESS by-laws. The Executive Session will only have in attendance the Board of Directors, the Ombudsman, the Attendee giving testimony and / or statement, and the Secretary. The Secretary will record the proceedings, but the records of the Safe Space Judicial Action will be kept private and only accessible by the Board of Directors, the Ombudsman and the Secretary.
Once all testimony and statements have been taken, the Board of Directors will meet in Executive Session at the next regularly scheduled BESS Board meeting to deliver a determination of the Safe Space Judicial Action. First, the records of the testimony and statements will be reviewed a final time, and authenticated with a vote by the Board of Directors. Next, the information presented will be debated. During this deliberation is it is critical that the events are examined objectively. The decisions made by the Board of Directors must be made based on what the defendant did, not how it made other people feel. A decision on whether or not the actions taken by the defendant constituted a violation of Safe Space must be based on how they would affect any member of the community, not just the specific reactions of the other Attendees involved.
Once the Board of Directors is ready, a vote is held on whether the defendant is guilty of violating Safe Space. If the defendant is found to be not guilty of violating Safe Space, the defendant and the submitter of the Formal Safe Space Complaint will be contacted by the Board of Directors via email, with the emails being carbon copied to the Ombudsman. If the defendant is found to be guilty of violating Safe Space, the Board of Directors must then vote on the appropriate action to take.
Actions available to the Board of Directors to respond to violations of Safe Space -
1. Issue a �Letter of Notice� to the defendant. This letter should outline the offense, that the conduct is outside the acceptable policy of BESS, and that repetition of this conduct will result in more serious actions. This is intended for minor infractions. An example of such an offense would be the first time a defendant has action taken against them for being mildly disruptive at a BESS Event, for unrequested non-intimate touching of other Attendees or for unrequested verbal advances towards another Attendee.
2. Issue a �Letter of Sanction� to the defendant. This letter should outline the offense, that the conduct is outside the acceptable policy of BESS, and that repetition of this conduct will result in the defendant being barred from BESS Events for a period of six months and all of their privileges with BESS suspended for the same period of time. This is intended for more serious infractions. An example of such an offense would be the first time a defendant has action taken against them for activities that resulted in the defendant being removed from a BESS Event (when more serious sanctions are not appropriate) or ignoring a House Safe Word / directions from BESS Representatives. It would also include repetition of offenses that resulted in earlier Letters of Notice.
3. Issue a �Letter of Short Term Ban� to the defendant. This letter should outline the offense, that the conduct is outside the acceptable policy of BESS, and that the defendant has been barred from BESS Events for a period of six months and all of their privileges with BESS suspended for the same period of time. This ban begins when the letter is sent out. This is intended for serious infractions. An example of such an offense would be the first time a defendant has action taken against them for unrequested verbal threats or serious unrequested verbal abuse of another Attendee, or for unrequested intimate touching of other Attendees. It would also include repetition of offenses that resulted in earlier Letters of Sanction.
4. Issue a �Letter of Long Term Ban� to the defendant. This letter should outline the offense, that the conduct is outside the acceptable policy of BESS, and that the defendant has been barred from BESS Events for a period of two years and all of their privileges with BESS suspended for the same period of time. This ban begins when the letter is sent out. This is intended for the most serious infractions or unremitting repeat offenders. An example of such an offense would be the first time a defendant has action taken against them for unrequested physical violence toward any person, consumption of alcohol at a BESS Event where alcohol is not permitted, possession of illegal controlled dangerous substances as defined by local, state and / or federal law. It would also include repetition of offenses that resulted in earlier Letters of Short Term Ban.
Once the Board of Directors has made a decision as to action to be taken against the defendant, the Board of Directors contacts both the defendant and the submitter of the Formal Safe Space Complaint, letting them know the action being taken, with carbon copies going to the Ombudsman. The Board of Directors will attempt to contact the submitter of the Formal Safe Space Compliant and the defendant via email, making up to three attempts over 15 days. If a defendant is unable to be contacted via email, they will be informed of the results of the Safe Space Judicial Action at the next BESS Event they attend.
The submitter of the Formal Safe Space Complaint and the defendant can both appeal the decisions of the board (regarding the Safe Space Judicial Action) to the Ombudsman. To do so, they must send to the Ombudsman (using the email address listed for the Ombudsman on the BESS web site) the email they received from the Board of Directors stating the results of the Safe Space Judicial Action, as well as an explanation of why this decision is inappropriate. This request for appeal must be made within 15 days of when the Attendee was sent email to inform them of the decision of the board (regarding the Safe Space Judicial Action). Once received, the Ombudsman will acknowledge receipt of the Safe Space Judicial Action appeal within 15 days by email. The Ombudsman will then meet with the BESS President and BESS Vice President to form a Review Panel. The Review Panel will then review the Safe Space Judicial Action and make a decision as to whether the results of the Safe Space Judicial Action were appropriate. If the Review Panel decides the results of the Safe Space Judicial Action were appropriate the Ombudsman contacts the Attendee requesting an appeal via email stating that their appeal has been denied. If the Review Panel decides the results of the Safe Space Judicial Action were inappropriate the Ombudsman will contact the Board of Directors via email and inform the board that they are requesting a review of the Safe Space Judicial Action.
During a review of a Safe Space Judicial Action, any member of the Review Panel can contact other witness and collect additional testimony and / or statements. If they decide to do so, the Ombudsman will contact these additional witnesses via email and inform the witnesses that their input is requested pertaining to a Safe Space Judicial Action. These emails will also contain the place and dates of three meetings over the next 45 days to hear testimony and take statements, and instructions for those contacted to respond back to the Ombudsman stating which meeting they will be attending. The Ombudsman will need to coordinate with the BESS Secretary so that they will available at these meetings to record the proceedings. At least two members of the Review Panel must be present at these meetings along with the Secretary. The Ombudsman can have one or two of these meetings be held during BESS Board meetings if they wish. If any witness can not be contacted via email after three attempts over 15 days, or is unable or unwilling to attend any of the three meetings, they will be dropped from the Safe Space Judicial Action. If necessary, the various Attendees can be scheduled to come to different meetings as to avoid interaction between hostile parties. Once all the additional testimony and statements have been recorded, the Ombudsman informs the Board of Directors that they are ready for the results of the Safe Space Judicial Action to be reviewed.
At the next regularly scheduled BESS Board meeting, the Review Panel (at least two of which must be in attendance) will verify the accuracy of the additional testimony and statements and then provide them to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors then reviews the additional documents and considers their impact on Safe Space Judicial Action.
Once the Board of Directors is ready, a vote is held on whether the defendant is guilty of violating Safe Space. During a review, the decision to consider an Attendee in violation of Safe Space requires a 2/3 majority vote. If the defendant is found to be not guilty of violating Safe Space, the defendant and the submitter of the Formal Safe Space Complaint will be contacted by the Board of Directors via email, with the emails being carbon copied to the Ombudsman. If the defendant is found to be guilty of violating Safe Space, the Board of Directors must then vote on the appropriate action to take. The same actions and guidelines used for the initial Safe Space Judicial Action are used during the review, but a new action may be selected by the Board of Directors.
Once the Board of Directors has made a decision as to action to be taken against the defendant, the Board of Directors contacts both the defendant and the submitter of the Formal Safe Space Complaint, letting them know the action being taken, with carbon copies going to the Ombudsman. These emails will also let the Attendees involved that no further appeal is possible. The Board of Directors will attempt to contact the submitter of the Formal Safe Space Compliant and the defendant via email, making up to three attempts over 15 days. If a defendant is unable to be contacted via email, they will be informed of the results of the Safe Space Judicial Action at the next BESS Event they attend.
When the Safe Space Judicial Action is complete (including any appeal), the Secretary will verify that all documents related to the Safe Space Judicial Action are in one place and will be kept in a safe place. These documents may only be reviewed by Board of Directors and the Ombudsman in the future, and then only in relation to the Attendees involved and to act as guidance for future Safe Space Judicial Actions. The Secretary will inform the Contributor, Education and Social Team leaders of any Letters of Short Term Ban or Letters of Long Term Ban that are issued, and who they are issued to, to ensure that the bans are actually carried out.
Should any Attendee want to pursue issues relating to the Formal Safe Space Complaint further, the Attendee does have the right to deal with the issue via the process outlined in sections 4.03 to 4.06 of the BESS bylaws.
Complaints against Board Members and Conflicts of Interest
Due to the conflict of interest involved in a Formal Safe Space Complaint that names a member of the Board of Directors as violating Safe Space, any board member who is named in a Formal Safe Space Complaint as violating Safe Space will be exempt from the procedures pertaining to that Formal Safe Space Complaint, any follow up Safe Space Judicial Action and any review of the follow up Safe Space Judicial Action. In addition, any other member of the board who feels unable to act in an impartial manner will be removed from consideration of a Formal Safe Space Complaint, any follow up Safe Space Judicial Action and any review of the follow up Safe Space Judicial Action.
To fill empty spots, the following Officers, in this order, will sit in the spots left empty by Directors of the Board �
1. Ombudsman
2. President
3. Vice President
If a Formal Safe Space Complaint names or involves more than three Directors of the Board, the Attendee placing the Formal Safe Space Complaint will have to revise the Formal Safe Space Complaint to include fewer Directors of the Board, file multiple Formal Safe Space Complaints with only three or fewer Directors of the Board named in each, or deal with the issue via the process outlined in sections 4.03 to 4.06 of the BESS bylaws.
Complaints against Attendees that are not Contributors
Formal Safe Space Complaints can only be filed by Attendees that are Contributors, but Attendees that are not Contributors can certainly be included in Formal Safe Space Complaints as a witness or as a defendant. If they are named as a witness, no special handling is required other than their email address needs to be obtained by the parties involved. If they are named as a defendant, once a decision has been made to initiate a Safe Space Judicial Action, special handling is required.
If the non-Contributor Attendee is a member of the venue staff, the board will make a decision on it�s own on how to deal with the situation rather going through the normal Safe Space Policy process. The submitter of the Formal Safe Space Complaint will be informed of the result via the normal process for informing them of the results of a Safe Space Judicial Action, but there is no appeal possible.
If the non-Contributor Attendee is not a member of the venue staff, and the Formal Safe Space Complaint refers to a BESS Event that allowed the general public to attend, an attempt on the part of the board, via the various teams, will be made to locate an email address of the defendant. If the email address can not be located, the Safe Space Judicial Action will be carried out without the defendant�s input and without the possibility of appeal by the defendant. Also, if actions are taken against the defendant and the defendant�s email address is unknown, a description of the defendant will be provided to the appropriate parties instead of a name. In addition to other actions taken against the defendant listed in the main body of the procedures for Safe Space Judicial Actions, the following additional actions will be taken when the defendant is not a Contributor �
1. If a Letter of Notice is issued, the defendant will be banned from becoming a Contributor for three months.
2. If a Letter of Sanction is issued, the defendant will be banned from becoming a Contributor for six months.
3. If a Letter of Short Term Ban is issued, the defendant will be banned from becoming a Contributor for one year.
4. If a Letter of Long Term Ban is issued, the defendant will be banned from becoming a Contributor for two years.
If a non-Contributor is banned from becoming a Contributor, the length of the ban and the name (or description, if the name is unavailable) will be communicated by the Secretary to the Contributor Team leader at the end of the Safe Space Judicial Action process.
If the non-Contributor Attendee is not a member of the venue staff, and the Formal Safe Space Complaint refers to a BESS Event that did not allow the general public to attend, the Safe Space Judicial Action is carried out the same as if the Formal Safe Space Complaint referred to a BESS Event that allowed the general public to attend except that the board or the team leader responsible for the BESS Event in question can file a Formal Safe Space Complaint against the Contributor that brought the non-Contributor to the BESS Event. The action taken against the Contributor bringing the non-Contributor will be one �step� reduced from the action taken against the non-Contributor. For example, if a Letter of Short Term Ban is issued to the non-Contributor, the board would assign a Letter of Sanction to the Contributor that brought the non-Contributor to the BESS Event, if the Contributor was found guilty at the end of a normal Safe Space Judicial Action. Such a Safe Space Judicial Action would be carried out separately and after the Safe Space Judicial Action against the non-Contributor was complete.
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