The views and opinions expressed by presenters and attendees during AJL Conference sessions, Round Table discussions and AJL Presents workshops, and other AJL sponsored group events are their own and not necessarily those of the Association of Jewish Libraries.
Anti Harassment
The Association of Jewish Libraries is dedicated to providing a safe and harassment-free environment for all of its conference attendees and has a zero-tolerance policy regarding harassment, intimidation, discrimination and retaliation. This includes inappropriate physical contact, unwelcome sexual attention, harassment, intimidation, and discrimination made on the basis of race, color, age, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, religion, class, body size, veteran status, marital/domestic partnership status, citizenship, religious observance, or any other marginalized identity.
The AJL Anti-Harassment Policy is applicable to all AJL events and all AJL venues, including conferences, Chapter meetings, and online interactions.
Code of Conduct
All participants in AJL events and activities, including members, guests, exhibitors, presenters and volunteers, are required to comply with the following anti-harassment code of conduct. The AJL Anti-Harassment Policy prohibits harassment, including but not limited to the following behaviors:
- Inappropriate physical contact.
- Unwelcome sexual attention.
- Quid pro quo – sexual harassment that occurs when one in an authority position requests sex or a sexual relationship in exchange for professional consideration or favors.
- Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following.
- Unwelcome photography or recording.
- Abusive verbal or written comments, such as: teasing, slurs, epithets, threats, threats, jokes, derogatory comments or drawings, or graphic comments about a person’s body.
- Sustained disruption of talks or other events.
Harassment does not include respectful disagreement or reasonable and respectful critique made in good faith. AJL continues to welcome and appreciate presentation of controversial ideas, free speech, and creative artistic expression. AJL encourages members to hold one another accountable to the Code of Conduct and to take the perspectives of others seriously when a disagreement arises.
Reporting Procedures
Any person who believes there has been a violation of the AJL Anti-Harassment Policy can report the offense in one or all of the following ways:
- All AJL conferences will designate one or more Safety Team Members who will be available during the conference to provide a safe space for members to report an incident. The Safety Team Member(s) will be identified in the Program Book on the Anti-Harassment Policy page and introduced at the opening session of the conference. The Safety Team Member(s) will report directly to the President and/or Conference Chair in charge.
- AJL has a dedicated email address for reporting any incident of harassment. Anyone who chooses to report an incident can find the Anti-Harassment Report Form on the website (About > Anti-Harassment Policy) or use the following email: harassment@jewishlibraries.org. Reports can be filled out anonymously or with identifying information. Reports should include the substance of the complaint, date, and whenever possible, a list of witnesses or a reference to the relevant URLs, if the offense occurred online. This email address will be monitored at all times, including during AJL events. AJL will fully investigate all complaints and take whatever action is necessary and appropriate to prevent a recurrence. AJL will make every attempt to respond to a named complainant in a timely fashion.
Non-Retaliation
The AJL Anti-Harassment Policy prohibits retaliation against a member of the AJL community for reporting harassment, intimidation or discrimination, or for participating in an investigation relating to any complaint made.
Investigations and Sanctions
AJL takes all allegations of harassment seriously. Every report will be investigated by a panel consisting of independent consultants specializing in issues of harassment. AJL will make every reasonable effort to conduct all investigations into allegations of harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in a manner that will protect the confidentiality of all parties. Notwithstanding the above, confidentiality is not absolute, and those with a legitimate business reason to know and be informed of the allegations will be so informed. Parties to the complaint are expected to treat the matter under investigation with discretion and respect the reputation of all parties involved.
The results of the investigation and the recommendations of the panel will be reported to the members of the Board, who will determine the appropriate sanction, in conjunction with the panel and/or, if deemed necessary and appropriate, in consultation with an independent arbiter (i.e legal counsel, HR expert, etc.) Sanctions for AJL members, guests, exhibitors, presenters and volunteers may include any of the following:
- warning the party involved that the particular behavior is inappropriate and must be ceased;
- immediate removal from the event;
- denial of access to AJL spaces and venues on a temporary or permanent basis;
- withholding of a contracted honorarium;
- prohibition from future speaking engagements;
- removal from AJL Board or AJL Council, when appropriate;
- termination of AJL membership, without refund;
- prohibition from future AJL membership.
last update 4/30/2018