CoC Violations: Supplemental Reporting Information

Overview

This document contains supplemental information around reporting Code of Conduct violations.

Listeners Team 

Listeners are here for you

If you do submit an initial report, our Listeners team will respond to you as quickly as possible. They may follow-up with you, both to gain a better understanding of the issue, and to learn what you would like to happen next. We understand that reporting can be upsetting, and we will handle the process with as much respect, dignity, and courtesy as possible while supporting you, the Reporter. The Listeners team will proceed at their discretion, based on the content, context, and your wishes as communicated to them.

We will ask you to tell us about what happened. We know this can be upsetting and you are welcome to bring someone to support you. You will never be asked to confront anyone and we will respect your privacy, though depending on the nature of the incident, it may be possible that the violator could narrow it down by themselves. 

We will keep you advised of the progress we’re making in handling the issue, and of any action we decide to take. We will take your views into account when deciding on that action.

Priorities

The Listeners team’s priorities will always be as follows:

1. Ensuring your safety

This includes not only keeping you safe from physical harm, but from emotional harm when it is possible to do so.

The only thing more important than keeping you safe is keeping the Occasion safe, as a whole. If we must decide between Safety and any other priority, Safety will always be primary.

Read more about our commitment to safety in the next section.

2. Keeping your Privacy

Listeners team interactions, including identity will always be kept private unless you grant us specific informed consent to the contrary. More information about our efforts to do so can be found in The Reporting Process and You.

3. Listening to you

This is in our name; whether you just need someone to talk to about what happened, or whether you want to make a formal complaint, we are here to listen to you, with respect and compassion, and without judgement.

You are welcome to bring another person to support you during this conversation. Due to space constraints, we may need to limit how many.

While Glasgow 2024’s official language is English, we do understand that not everyone is fluent there, especially during a stressful situation. If you need an interpreter for a different language to assist in your discussions with the Listener team, we will do what we can to find someone who is both capable and is subject to the same privacy restrictions as the rest of the team.

4. Acting for you

We will always consult with you during any investigation and decision-making activities. When it comes to a resolution, we will honour your preferences whenever it is feasible to do so.

Defining the Reporting Process

Each of the following definitions are specifically in context of the Glasgow 2024 Code of Conduct Listeners Reporting Process.

➢ Ban Application Group (BAG)

BAG Purpose

A Ban Application Group (BAG) is convened to notify a Code investigation subject of the decisions made regarding their violation, and to apply the Ban as recommended in the BDG’s Determination.

BAG Membership

Membership of a BAG must include at least one member of Cadre A and one member of Cadre B and should, where feasible, include at least one member from each of the Teams represented in crafting the relevant Ban Determination

BAG Supplemental Personnel

As available, this group shall include at least one member from each of the Teams represented in the crafting the relevant Ban Determination. 

As needed, supplemental personnel can also be added to assist with specific activities related to various portions applying a Ban. Some of these additional personnel might include members of any or all of the following groups, as appropriate for the specific circumstance:

• Convention Teams may include: Convention Operations (ConOps), IT, Membership, Online Occasion, or Social Media;
  • The latter is not included to share any details publicly, but rather to be able to respond appropriately if a Ban action is shared, especially if shared by one or more Principals.
• Private security, as provided by one or more Occasion Venues;
• Manager (or their designee) relevant Occasion-adjacent hotels; and/or
• Local law enforcement.

➢ Ban Deliberation Group (BDG)

BDG Purpose

A BDG is convened to deliberate the most appropriate outcome for an individual against whom a Listeners Report has been filed, escalated to the Code team, and the latter’s recommended actions advise options including any type of Ban, even if non-Ban options are being considered.

A BDG will dissolve after their Ban Determination has been received and applied, as relevant. Other Groups, with the same or different qualified members, may be convened to deliberate outcomes for additional Reports.

BDG Membership

A BDG must have a minimum of three members, including at least:

• one Cadre A member;
• one Cadre B member; and
• one additional Team member who may or may not fall into Cadres A or B;
• where feasible, the MSS DH or DDH should be a part of the BDG.

➢ Cadre A

Purpose

Cadre A are the senior leadership of Glasgow 2024. They become a part of the reporting process only if there is a potential for a Ban.

Membership

• Chair, Vice Chair, and Chair’s Advisors;
  • Any Determination involving a Final Ban must include someone from the Chair’s team.
• Division Heads and their Deputies.

➢ Cadre B

Purpose

Cadre B  are the investigation team(s) involved in the reporting process. Depending on the specific circumstances, 

Membership (always)

• Code of Conduct (Code) team; or
• Listeners team.

Membership (conditional)

• Division Heads and/or their Deputies (DH/DDH)[*]
  • if the Respondent is a Team member reporting to them;
• DH/DDH for AD&D, Events, or Programme or
  Area Head (AH) for Online Convention or Social Media
  • if the Respondent’s violation was under the auspices of their Team.

➢ Code of Conduct Team

Purpose

The Code of Conduct (“Code”) team is responsible for creating and maintaining the Glasgow 2024 Code of Conduct, including publishing updates when necessary. 

This team is also responsible for taking the lead on all investigations of serious violations of the Code.

Membership

This team is a subset of the Glasgow 2024 Listeners team.

➢ Listeners Report

Purpose

The Listeners Report is used to document that a possible CoC violation has occurred. Based on the possible violation and the wishes of the reporter, actions may or may not be taken, but the report remains important.

More information about the processing of Listeners Reports can be found in The Reporting Process and You.

➢ Listeners team

Purpose

The primary purpose for the Listeners team is to provide a place where Participants can speak frankly about potential CoC related issues that they face in any Venue at any Glasgow 2024 Occasion.

The Listeners team is responsible for investigating the bulk of CoC issues and screening them for the more serious variety.

Membership

Listeners are Glasgow 2024 Staff members who have been assigned this role because of their knowledge, experience, and compassion.

➢ LITRS

Purpose

The Listeners Incident Tracking and Reporting System (LITRS) is a standalone ticketing system based on Atlassian Jira, and hosted in the cloud.

Membership

While anyone may submit a LITRS ticket, only the Listeners team has access to the information after it is entered.

➢ Occasion Types

Occasions organised by Glasgow 2024

Issues arising at our own branded or sponsored Events, either in person or online, should always be reported via the Glasgow 2024 process. This same process should be used for any or all violations, whether they were made by attendees, volunteers, or team members.

Occasions organised by others

If something that concerns you occurs at an Event, such as a Glasgow 2024-sponsored party at another convention that is sponsored by another entity who has also published their own Code of Conduct, please follow the reporting procedures set out in that document first. You may additionally choose to make a report via the Glasgow 2024 process. This will allow us to keep track of recurring issues and identify repeat violators.

➢ Principals Involved in Listeners Reports

Reporter

A Reporter is someone who has filed a Listeners Report regarding a potential CoC violation.

Respondent

A Respondent is someone who is suspected of having violated some portion of the Glasgow 2024 Code of Conduct.

Witness

A Witness is someone who is neither a Respondent nor a Reporter, but has first-hand knowledge of a potential CoC violation.

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