If you wish to report a violation of the Code of Conduct or otherwise request Code of Conduct Working Group intervention, please email coc-wg@eastbayforeveryone.org.

The East Bay for Everyone Code of Conduct

This is a living document that describes how we’re building East Bay for Everyone. The following Code of Conduct (CoC) applies within our community.

East Bay for Everyone (EB4E) is a supportive, safe, welcoming environment for all, regardless of level of political involvement, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, personal appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, age, religion, nationality, or other similar characteristic.

Please be kind and courteous to each other. No personal attacks; direct strong emotions at ideas, not individuals. There’s no need to be mean or rude.

Political debate is greatly encouraged and part of how we develop. Be respectful, use healthy forms of discourse, and be open to new ideas. This isn’t a science. Respect that people have differences of opinion and that every decision carries a trade-off and numerous costs. There is seldom a right answer, especially in political activism. While healthy debate is essential to progress, disruption and co-option of EB4E is counterproductive and harmful. The problem is so much bigger than us.

Please keep unstructured critique to a minimum. If you have solid ideas you want to experiment with, be prepared to do the work yourself.

Get consent before sharing communications between members of EB4E. There’s an expectation that what goes on in Slack, Discuss and other communication tools are not on the record and should be kept between the participants. The only exception is gathering documentation for a code of conduct violation. That said, please use care in your communications. Don’t say anything you wouldn’t want read back to you in a courtroom with an unsympathetic jury.

We will exclude you from interaction if you insult, demean, or harass anyone. That is not welcome behavior. Our definition of harassment includes:

• Violence, threats of violence or violent language directed against another person.
• Sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist or otherwise discriminatory jokes and language.
• Sharing or displaying sexually explicit or violent material.
• Sharing or threatening to post other people’s personally identifying information (“outing” or “doxing”). Regardless of whether said information is technically public, the result could be bullying or harassment.
• Personal insults, particularly those related to gender, sexual orientation, race, age, religion, or disability.
• Inappropriate physical contact. You should have someone’s consent before touching them.
• Unwelcome sexual attention. This includes, sexualized comments or jokes; inappropriate touching, groping, and unwelcome sexual advances.
• Deliberate intimidation, stalking or following (online or in person).
• Sustained disruption of community events, including talks and presentations.
• Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior. 

Remarks that violate EB4E standards of conduct, including hateful, hurtful, oppressive, or exclusionary remarks, won’t be tolerated. Cursing is fine but never targeting another member and never in a hateful manner.

Remarks that the Code of Conduct Working Group find inappropriate, whether in a category listed in the CoC or not, are also not allowed.

Likewise any spamming, trolling, flaming, baiting, or other attention-stealing behavior is not welcome.

The Code of Conduct Working Group

To render this Code of Conduct effective, East Bay for Everyone has a group of volunteers pledged to uphold it. This group is called the Code of Conduct Working Group (CoC-WG).

The Code of Conduct Working Group is made up of three or more members of EB4E. Their identities must be known so members can get ahold of them. New members of the CoC-WG are nominated by the CoC-WG or the Board of Stewards and are confirmed by the Board of Stewards. 

The CoC-WG is the cultural immune system of EB4E. The CoC and CoC-WG exist to ensure that our organizing environment is healthy, welcoming, and sustainable. Working group members are entrusted to maintain, update, and uphold this document as objectively as they can. 

Private harassment is unacceptable. No matter who you are, if you feel you have been or are being harassed or made uncomfortable by a member, please contact a member of the Code of Conduct Working Group immediately. Whether you’re a regular contributor or newcomer, we care about making this group a safe place for you and we’ve got your back.

Code of Conduct Working Group Procedures

The CoC-WG follows these policies for upholding our community’s standards of conduct. If you feel that something needs attention, please contact the CoC-WG. The intention of this process is rehabilitation, not punishment.

Code of Conduct Violations

When someone comes to the CoC-WG with a credible allegation that a member has violated the CoC, an investigation will be performed. Witnesses will be called to corroborate the story, and evidence (such as screenshots or photos) collected. In instances of they said/they said where there were no witnesses, past documented behavior will be taken into consideration. It is the CoC-WG’s duty to be thorough and fair while investigating the matter and if there is not enough evidence, no further action will be taken.

A member of the CoC-WG will speak to the accused member to 1) outline the allegations, 2) point out how the behavior violates the Code of Conduct, and 3) explain the actions that could be taken against them if they don’t acknowledge the allegations and commit to taking restorative steps. If they make an earnest effort at self-improvement, no further action will be taken.

If this is not well-received, the CoC-WG will then respond with a written warning.

If the warning is unheeded, the CoC may temporarily suspend their membership in East Bay for Everyone. The member will be asked to step away from East Bay for Everyone to cool off for a period of time determined by the CoC-WG. The CoC-WG has the authority to suspend a member for up to 15 days effective immediately but requiring subsequent ratification by the Board. If a suspension of greater duration is warranted, the CoC-WG will make a recommendation to the Board. Suspending a member requires a ⅔ majority vote of the Board.

During a suspension, members may not participate in the activities of the organization. This includes logging into Slack or Discuss and attending events. Any ongoing tasks or responsibilities must be handed off to others in the organization during this period.

The CoC-WG may choose at its discretion to lift the suspension (or recommend that the Board do so) if it was a first offense and the member offers the offended party or parties a genuine apology.

If the member still does not change their behavior after their suspension has concluded, the CoC-WG can recommend to the Board that the member be suspended indefinitely. 

If you think a suspension of membership was unjustified, we ask that you take it up with a member of the CoC-WG directly. Some details of CoC-WG reports, investigations, and actions are to be kept private to prevent retaliation. We must maintain an atmosphere where people feel comfortable coming forward.

Code of Conduct Violations by CoC-WG Members

CoC-WG members are held to a higher standard than other community members. If a CoC-WG member creates an inappropriate situation, they should expect less leeway than others and may be asked to leave the working group.

CoC-WG members who either report a violation against themselves or who are reported for a violation must recuse themselves during the investigation and subsequent actions.

Code of Conduct Violations by EB4E Leaders

Those in positions of leadership are held to a higher standard, as their behavior reflects on the organization’s values. Violations of the Code of Conduct by leadership can be damaging to the entire organization and create mistrust. Therefore they can be grounds for dismissal from the position, be it Board member, officer, or Co-Executive.

When someone comes to the CoC-WG with a credible allegation against an EB4E leader, the process will proceed as outlined above with the following additions:

If a written warning is issued, the EB4E leader will be asked to write a clarifying statement and apologize to the membership of East Bay for Everyone.

If the leader fails to write the statement, the CoC will recommend that their membership be temporarily suspended.

If the leader is temporarily suspended from EB4E membership, they must provide a written plan for improvement upon their return, which will be revisited three months from the date of return. If after three months it is found that they have violated the code of conduct again or have not followed their improvement plan, the CoC-WG could recommend immediate dismissal from their position and, depending on the severity of the violation(s), a permanent suspension of their membership. Because suspension of membership must be attained through the Board, the EB4E leader must recuse themselves from said Board discussion and vote.

Code of Conduct Working Group Membership

• Ben Keller (chair)
• Aaron Eckhouse
• John Minot
• Tomasso Sciortino