Dispute Resolution Committee

Quick links:

Use the Code of Conduct Report Form to submit a report for an incident you believe to have violated the Code of Conduct.

You can also email the committee directly at coc-reporting@makeict.org

Overview

MakeICT is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone. This goal is comprehensive, applying to all MakeICT spaces, including the physical makerspace, websites, forum, event locations, and any other spaces, both online and off.

The Code of Conduct Reports Committee was established for the purpose of fairly considering and addressing instances of Code of Conduct violations.

The committee's workflow:

• Receive the report.
• Investigate the claims made in the report.
• Verify the details.
• Evaluate whether the report is actionable.
• Recommend a course of action to the Board.

Committee Members

• Michael Atherton
• Gretchen Koch
• James Lancaster
• John Nicholas
• Serena Oden-Powers

Background:

On April 20, 2023, the Board voted to approve this committee as the standing version of the previous ad hoc Discrimination and Harassment Policy committee.

The information below was accepted by the Board of Directors as a Work in Progress, at the Regular Board Meeting of June 15, 2023. It is subject to additional experience, and suggestions from membership, the Board, and the ADAH Committee for additions, clarifications and deletions.

Code of Conduct Reporting - Process, Procedure and Reporting

This group has been set up through the ADAH Policy: Read The Policy

From that policy: “We will respect confidentiality requests for the purpose of protecting victims of abuse. Investigations will be kept as confidential as possible. At our discretion, the results of substantiated investigations may be made public if we believe that doing so will increase the safety of MakeICT members or the general public. We will not name harassment victims without their affirmative consent. Nothing in this section precludes contacting the police or other legal authorities when indicated."

Bylaws: Article III: Who We Are

Section 1: Designation of Membership Class

MakeICT has a single membership class with voting rights.

The Process:

A Reporting Form is filled out at: https://makeict.org/report/ The Reporter may speak for themself or for another.

The system sends a notice to all members of the COC Reporting Group. If an optional entry for an email is provided, notices can be sent. If a reporter wishes to remain anonymous, or does not wish to be contacted, we will honor that wish.

• Receipt should be acknowledged, to the reporter, within 2 business days.
• A determination may be made at any time after receipt.
• An initial update may be provided to the reporter by the 10th business day.
• A determination should be made between the 10th and 15th business day. The determination is made when filed for Board Action.

Group Members will use the coc-reporting@makeict.org address.

The work of the group is time-sensitive.

A group member may recuse themselves from discussion, as warranted. A group member may raise the question of recusal of one or more members, as warranted.

If immediate action is required, three members may decide to take temporary action as they deem appropriate. All non-recused members will participate in determinations.

The group may use email, conference call, video conference, or in-person meetings as they determine appropriate.

The group is allowed to take immediate temporary action to protect members via forum moderation or disabling badge access as needed. The Board should be notified if immediate temporary action is taken.

If that is required, the report should have a determination made within 3-5 days. If there is a need to make temporary actions permanent, the Board will be consulted and the determination handled. That will then fall under the Bylaws for non-scheduled Board Meetings.

Determination Process

• Determinations are dated when referred to the Board. Typically, they will accumulate during the month and be reported at the Regular Monthly Meeting.
• The Report Number assigned by the Google Form is only used prior to the determination being made.
• Determinations will be numbered in the format of YYYY-MM Serial Number.
• Determination forms will be emailed to the Board a minimum of 24 hours prior to the Board Meeting for review.
• The Determination will be void of any identifying information. This is a confidentiality issue. The ADAH Policy prohibits the release of names, and requires we respect the privacy of targeted persons.
• The list of Determinations will be presented to the Board for Approval. The list can be approved as presented or returned for revision. General discussion may occur, and general direction provided, before the list is returned.
• Executive Sessions will be used in the event that the Board needs to be consulted on a report for guidance, direction, or regarding temporary action.
• Reasons to return the Determination could include:
  • Inadequate findings
  • Action Not Strong Enough
  • Action Too Strong
  • The Findings do not address one or more parts of the report.
  • The Findings assume no CoC Violation, where there is one.
  • Other

Terminology

We use non-loaded terms during our process, discussion and reporting of each Report. These terms should used instead of names.

• Reporter: A person making the report for themselves
• 3rd Party Reporter: A person making the report for another
• Person of Concern: A named or unnamed person, in the report that may have discriminated or harassed
• Target: A named or unbamed person, in the report that was harassed, discriminated against, or otherwise mistreated as defined by the code of conduct.
• Witness: A named person with information about the discrimination or harassment. NOTE: A witness may have relevant information, and not have observed the incident. AND a witness may appear for the reporter or the Person of Concern.

Determinations

Determinations may be listed as one of the following:

• Substantiated
• Unsubstantiated
• Not a Code of Conduct Issue
• Previously Resolved

In some cases, the issue of substantiation may not be appropriate. The group reserves the right to list an appropriate Listing

It should be clear that determinations are not final. If additional information is presented, the group can change the listing to Substantiated.

Determinations should contain the Report, a Findings Statement, an Action Statement, and perhaps one or more recommendations.

Note: The findings do not contain names. They use numbers and terms: Witness, Person of Concern, Reporter, 3rd Party Reporter, Target, or Other.

Determinations are always redacted to omit any names or other wording felt to be identifying.

Example:

Code Of Conduct Report 2023-05-1 has been investigated and is designated as Substantiated

Report Made: May1

In a (REDACTED) Class, on (Date REDACTED ) another person taking the class kept making comments about the work of a class member such as not smart, go back to school,, get out of my face. They were asked them to stop once and then the class member being beliBled moved to another table. The comments kind of stopped aDer they moved. Then loudmouth class member got up and walked around the room making similar comments about the first class member's work.

FINDINGS: The COC-Reporting Group reviewed information from the Reporter, Witnesses A, B and C. We interviewed the Person of Concern for the report. The Target was un-named.

We find the reported incident was the same as described by two of 3 witnesses, and not contradicted by the third witness. and constitutes Harassment under the Code of Conduct.

The terms used by the Person of Concern included: " not smart”, “get out of my face”, etc.

We note this is the first time the Person of Concern has been reported for COC issues.

ACTION: The Person of Concern in this report has been privately contacted and provided with this Information, the specific words, and other information. That letter is not public information, as it could be used to identify either the Person of Concern or the Victim.

The file copy of this report was signed as an acknowledgement of being provided a copy.

This report will be published on the Forum Topic of ADAH Results for transparency.

RECOMMENDATIONS: This Determination will be filed for future reference should another report be received.

Code Of Conduct Report 202Y-MM-SN has been investigated and is designated as .

Report Made: _______________

FINDINGS:

ACTION:

This report will be published on the Forum Topic of ADAH Results for transparency.

RECOMMENDATIONS: This report will be filed for future reference should another report be received.