Safety and Discipline Policy

Safety & Discipline
The priority of any organization should be the safety and well-being of its participants. While this can mean banning people, issuing bans should not be the focus and should be reserved as a last resort for handling chronic or severe violations of the Code of Conduct or the rules. A general note - when someone comes forward with a complaint against a player, it is vital that the complaint be recorded, either electronically or in writing. This is a critical process of taking any corrective measure, and event organizers and Chapter officials who fail to do this are not doing their job properly.

Should a Code of Conduct violation occur at an event, or if an event organizer has a reasonable suspicion that such a violation occurred, the violator may be subject to whatever penalties the event organizer sees fit, including, but not limited to, removal from further combat activities, restriction to their camp, removal from the event, or involvement of local law enforcement officers. Hearthlight’s priority is the safety of our participants and event organizers are expected to take whatever measures are necessary to honor that priority. If a person is expelled from an event, it is expected that, at the very least, Suspension proceedings will be initiated once the event is over.

This document is not intended to be an exhaustive list of what to do in every circumstance, but an outline of the procedures that can be followed for different types of concerns. For more information on what should be done by event coordinators for more serious offenses, please refer to the Event Coordinators Guide.

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Definition of Terms
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 * Code of Conduct - View here
 * Chapter - Chapters are geographic collections of Members that have certain rights and responsibilities to their local Members and to the national organization. (link to Governance Document)
 * Chapter Relations - The National Council’s appointed person to handle inter-Chapter relations as well as maintaining the national disciplinary records. (link to Governance Document)
 * Restriction to camp - Sometimes the behavior of an individual warrants separating them from others (often in cases of drunkenness or being in need to “cool down” from a bad interpersonal interaction). Event organizers may ask a person to return to their camp and not leave for a certain period of time. This is not physical detainment. They always have the option to leave the event entirely.
 * Complaint - A written or verbal account of a violation of the Code of Conduct by another player or players. Complaints can also be admissions of Code of Conduct violations by the person giving the account.
 * Complainant - A person who brings a complaint to a Chapter official. This can be a witness, a person against whom the Code of Conduct was violated, or the person who violated the Code of Conduct. Complainants can also be those who have heard about a Code of Conduct violation, but the Chapter official should make a sustained effort to gather information from those closer to the situation.
 * Chapter Official - a person who holds elected office in a chapter

Level I - Verbal Warning

 * Mode of delivery: Verbal
 * Time of delivery: As soon as problem behavior occurs/is known
 * Types of offenses: Minor, correctable
 * Consequences: None. Lack of compliance may escalate to more serious levels.
 * Reporting obligation: None. Notification to the head of the event

A verbal warning is a message conveyed in person or electronically, letting a participant know that their behavior was unacceptable and that they need to change it. These can be issued at the discretion of anyone involved in running an event. Violations of the combat rules should be brought to the Head Herald, who may report repeated violations to the head of the event at their discretion. Violations unrelated to combat should be brought to the attention of the head of the event as soon as possible. This warning should clearly state what the problem is, explain why this is a problem, and tell the player what they should do to correct this behavior. It should be conveyed in a firm but friendly tone. These warnings are primarily intended to guide people towards more acceptable behavior who might be acting without consideration, but are not acting maliciously. Examples of behavior that might merit a verbal warning could be an action on the field that shows a disregard for player safety or unintentionally using language that is offensive.

This is not an exhaustive list. Example 1- During combat, J shield checks B into a bramble bush and moves on to fight other people. After the combat is concluded, B reports this to an event organizer. The event organizer approaches J and says, “J, during the last scenario you checked B into a bramble bush. He’s OK, but when you are engaging in more dangerous maneuvers, like grappling or shield checking, you need to be aware of your surroundings. Please make sure you keep an eye out for risky situations and modify your play accordingly.” If J accepts this and corrects the behavior, then no further action is needed. Example 2- E, who is interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with Y, begins to follow Y around at events, making sure that they are in close proximity and basing their choices of activities around what Y is doing. This is making Y uncomfortable, and Y mentions this to a Chapter official. The official approaches E and tells them “You need to give Y space. You are making Y feel uncomfortable and Y is not enjoying Hearthlight as much as they used to, because they feel that you are smothering them with attention. Take a step back, and give Y the space that they need.” The official checks in later with Y, and determines whether E has modified their behavior. If E has listened, then no further action is required.

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Level II - Written Warning
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 * Mode of delivery: Email/snail mail
 * Time of delivery: After deliberation by the Chapter officials/event organizers
 * Types of offenses: More serious offenses, recognition of patterns of behavior. Not for safety violations
 * Consequences: None. Lack of compliance may escalate to more serious levels.
 * Reporting obligation: Chapter records, Chapter Relations

A written warning is a formal message, conveyed via email or paper letter, to the participant and the Chapter Relations that is intended to create a record of a problem behavior and to inform the participant that, if the behavior continues, there will be concrete consequences. The participant will have the right to respond via email or paper letter explaining their perspective on the issue. The letter should include as much detail about the events in question as possible, including contact information and statements from witnesses, preferably recorded as soon as possible after the incident. Written warnings are primarily intended to address things such as, but not limited to, repeated minor rules violations, players who ignore or disregard verbal warnings to modify their behavior, or any other issue that a Chapter official or event organizer feels should be recorded, even if it does not merit a suspension or a ban.

Written warnings are not intended to deal with situations where there are issues of physical safety involved. Example 1- E has been repeatedly warned that following Y around at events has made Y very uncomfortable, but has failed to modify the behavior. Y brings this to the attention of their Chapter representative. Their representative realizes that this behavior warrants more of a response than a verbal warning, and drafts a letter, detailing when the behavior occurred, when verbal warnings were issued, and how E responded to those warning. E and the Chapter Relations receive copies of this letter, and E is invited to respond. Example 2- R is very active online in Hearthlight groups, but their behavior has escalated from playful banter to harassment and bullying. R has received multiple verbal warnings, but has refused to stop, excusing the behavior as “just online bullshit.” This is making multiple people uncomfortable and making them feel unwelcome.

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Level III - Suspension
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 * Mode of delivery: Email/snail mail, Chapter-wide announcement
 * Time of delivery: After deliberation by the Chapter officials/event organizers.
 * Types of offenses: More serious offenses, including but not limited to threats participant safety, jeopardizing the ability of Hearthlight to utilize facilities and resources, theft, refusing to adjust behavior after repeated written warnings, and less serious consent violations, stalking, patterns of behavior, can include minor safety violations and escalations of repeated warnings
 * Consequences: Can result in a thirty (30) day administrative suspension pending investigation, temporary ban of up to one year from Chapter activities
 * Reporting obligation: Chapter records, Chapter Relations

A suspension is a temporary ban from a single Chapter for up to a year, during which time a person may not participate in any activities sponsored by that Chapter. Any Chapter that begins the suspension process must forward all related documents, votes, and discussion to Chapter Relations and is responsible for informing Chapter Relations of any decisions made within a week.

Suspensions should be reserved for actions including, but not limited to, threats to participant safety, theft, jeopardizing the ability of Hearthlight to utilize facilities and resources, stalking, refusing to adjust behavior after repeated written warnings, and less serious consent violations. Until there is a resolution, an administrative suspension of up to thirty (30) days can be issued at the discretion of the Chapter Officials in order to ensure participant safety. A person subject to an administrative suspension may not participate in any Chapter activities or any Chapter sponsored social media for the duration of the suspension. Chapter relations must be notified electronically or in writing when an administrative suspension is issued. This notification must include the player name and the date the suspension was issued. The administrative ban is not an indication of the validity of the complaint, but a measure to ensure player safety while an investigation is conducted. If the suspension process has not begun or the complaint has not been dismissed within thirty (30) days, Chapter Relations will step in to investigate what is delaying the process.

The suspension process should be begun as quickly as possible after the behavior occurs. Any prior documentation, written testimony, or other evidence should be shared with the Chapter and the subject of the suspension process. Testimonies will be made anonymous if the person providing them requests it. After there is a discussion, the Chapter should vote, with a 60% super-majority needed to implement the suspension. This vote should be conducted as a secret ballot, and the results, including a list of who voted for what resolution, should be reported to Chapter Relations, so that Chapter Relations can confirm the results, when it is concluded. Chapter Relations will then announce the suspension to the National Council. The suspension process should take no more than fourteen (14) days.

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Level IV- Ban

 * Mode of delivery: Email/snail mail, Game wide announcement
 * Time of delivery: After deliberation by the Chapter officials/event organizers.
 * Types of offenses: More serious offenses, recognition of patterns of behavior, can include minor safety violations and escalations of repeated warnings
 * Consequences: Can result in a thirty (30) day administrative suspension pending investigation, Ban from any Hearthlight activity for a period ranging from one year to a lifetime ban.
 * Reporting obligation: Chapter records, Chapter Relations

A Ban is a prohibition from participation in Hearthlight in any way (including presence at events, practices, craft nights, and participation in online activities) for a span of no less than one year up to the remainder of a person’s lifetime. This is reserved for very serious offenses, including but not limited to, major consent violations, physically attacking a participant, conviction for violent or sexual crimes outside of the game, or menacing a participant with a weapon. A Ban is to be decided by the National Council. The Chapter Representatives of the Chapter where the behavior in question occurred will bring forward and prior documentation, written testimony, or other evidence to be shared with the National Council and the subject of the ban process. Chapter relations should do the same. The person who is subject to the Ban will be invited to respond to the accusations and will be allowed to answer any questions the Chapter Representatives present. After there is a discussion, the Council should vote, with a 60% super-majority needed to implement the ban. Once it is decided that a ban is called for, the Council will discuss the appropriate length of the ban and whether the ban will be subject to review after a certain time frame. This process should take no more than thirty (30) days.

A person who is subject to a ban proceeding is automatically suspended from any Hearthlight activities, pending resolution of the process. Bans should be reserved for people who present a serious problem to Hearthlight, whether this is through a single serious infraction of our Code of Conduct, threats to player safety, or repeated, less serious offenses. This is not a procedure to be undertaken lightly. Once a person is banned, there will be a public announcement of the ban, and information will be shared with other local, regional, and national LARPs, boffer sports, and historical recreation organizations. The announcement will take the form of “Person was accused of A, B, and C, at dates X, Y, and Z. The National Council of Hearthlight has determined that Person is an ongoing threat to the safety of our players and they are no longer welcome to participate for W years/the remainder of their life.” Hearthlight does not claim to be a finder of fact and at no point should anyone speaking on behalf of Hearthlight or a Hearthlight Chapters make a claim of fact. We are a private organization and it is our right to exclude people who we determine expose our players or our organization to danger.

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Complaint Process
A formal complaint can be made verbally or in written/electronic form to a chapter official. Both are equally valid methods of seeking redress, and the person receiving a complaint is obligated to act on it as soon as possible.

When an player safety or consent related incident occurs at an event, after the immediate safety and well-being of the participants is addressed, the event staff who handled the incident will offer to guide the person affected through the complaint process or may make the complaint for them, if that is what the person affected wishes. The person affected may also choose to make the complaint on their own. Regardless of the choices of the person affected, it is essential that the event staff fully document the process. Even if a complaint is made verbally to a chapter official, it is important that the complainant make a written or electronic record of the complaint, including the time, location, and as much details of the incident as possible, as soon as possible. This greatly increases the chance of a satisfactory resolution and creates a mechanism for accountability.

Upon receipt of a formal complaint, a chapter official must begin the process of resolving the complaint within 14 days. This can mean opening an investigation, interviewing people, initiating a suspension process, or contacting Chapter Relations to initiate a ban process. If 14 days expire with no action, then a complainant may contact Chapter Relations, who will then open an investigation into both the complaint and why that chapter in question failed to act. It is essential that the complainant provide Chapter Relations with as complete a record as they can, in order to ensure a fair process. At the discretion of Chapter Relations, if there is a legitimate reason for the delay, Chapter Relations may allow the chapter in question to complete the resolution process with supervision. Otherwise, Chapter Relations will step in and complete the investigation themselves. Player safety is of the utmost importance, and it is possible that refusing to address complaints may result in Level IV sanctions for the chapter officials involved.

This document is hosted on Hearthlight's website. That is the authoritative version.