code-of-conduct

Hear Me Code's Code of Conduct borrows from many excellent codes of conduct written by other organizations.

(Adapted from the Tech Lady Hackathon Code of Conduct, which includes pieces from Lean Startup, PyCon, and others.)

From the Lean Startup Code of Conduct:

We do not tolerate harassment based on race, gender, religion, age, color, national origin, physical appearance, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Harassment includes:

When we say 'harassment,' we're talking about unwelcome or hostile behavior, including speech that intimidates, creates discomfort, or interferes with a person's participation in the conference (speaker presentations fall under this category and should not use images or examples that would violate the code of conduct); unwelcome physical contact; unwelcome sexual attention; deliberate intimidation; and stalking. Sponsors should not use sexualized images or activities, and sponsor representatives (including volunteers) should not use sexualized clothing/uniforms/costumes.

To the above definition, I'd like to add microaggressions

The "short version" of PyCon's Code of Conduct for 2013:

Be kind to others. Do not insult or put down other attendees. Behave professionally.

The Ada Initiative has a how-to guide on writing effective codes of conduct, and in it they detail:

The major weapon of harassers is arguing whether something is actually harassing.

The Django Code of Conduct includes:

Do not insult or put down other participants. 
Harassment and other exclusionary behavior aren't acceptable. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Violent threats or language directed against another person.
- Sexist, racist, or otherwise discriminatory jokes and language.
- Posting sexually explicit or violent material.
- Posting (or threatening to post) other people's personally identifying information ("doxing").
- Personal insults, especially those using racist or sexist terms (see harassment above)
- Unwelcome sexual attention.
- Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior.
- Repeated harassment of others. In general, if someone asks you to stop, then stop.

Hear Me Code reserves the right to remove anyone who engages in harassment or other prohibited behavior outlined above from events, to bar them from future events, and to remove them from the group.

Who is bound by the Code of Conduct?

• All Hear Me Code members
• Attendees of any Hear Me Code events

What if someone violates the Code of Conduct?

• Document as much as you can: time, place, people involved, and what happened.
• Please report the violation immediately in person to the event organizer, a teacher, or teaching assistant. If you feel more comfortable, you may report by email, but please note that teachers and teaching assistants do not typically check email during class, and you may not get an immediate response.

What happens once I've reported the incident?

The event organizers will determine the nature and severity of the incident and decide appropriate action.

What kinds of action might be taken?

• Asking a violator to apologize for their actions
• Suspending a violator's unmoderated posting privileges to the group
• Removing a violator from an event
• Banning a violator from future events
• Removal from the group

Who decides what's a violation of the code of conduct and enforces decisions?

• The event organizer, teacher, or teaching assistants.
• The founder of Hear Me Code