Code of Conduct

Code for America asks that all those who participate in our activities, events, and digital forums follow these community guidelines:

1. Create a safe, collaborative, and respectful environment for all participants.
2. Make this a place where people are free to fully express their identities.
3. Assume goodwill, and presume the value of others. Everyone’s ideas, skills, and contributions have value.
4. Stay curious and ask questions while also encouraging questions, don’t assume everyone has the same context.
5. Find a way for people to be productive with their skills (technical and not) and energy. Use language such as “yes/and,” rather than “no/but.”
6. Listen as much as we speak.
7. Strive to build tools that are open and free technology for public use. Prioritize activities that aim to foster public use, not private gain.
8. Prioritize access for and input from those who are traditionally excluded from the civic process.
9. Work to ensure that the community is well-represented in the planning, design, and implementation of civic tech. This includes encouraging participation from women, minorities, and traditionally marginalized groups.
10. Actively involve community groups and those with subject matter expertise in the decision-making process.
11. Ensure that the relationships and conversations between community members, local government staff, and community partners remain respectful, participatory, and productive.
12. Provide an environment where people are free from discrimination or harassment.

Code for America reserves the right to ask anyone in violation of these policies not to participate in Code for America events and digital forums.

Code for America’s Anti-Harassment Policy

This anti-harassment policy is based on the example policy from the Geek Feminism wiki, created by the Ada Initiative and other volunteers.

This policy is based on several other policies, including the Ohio LinuxFest anti-harassment policy, written by Esther Filderman and Beth Lynn Eicher, and the Con Anti-Harassment Project. Mary Gardiner, Valerie Aurora, Sarah Smith, and Donna Benjamin generalized the policies and added supporting material. Many members of LinuxChix, Geek Feminism and other groups contributed to this work.

All Code for America events, digital forums, network activities, and their staff, presenters, and participants are held to an anti-harassment policy, included below.

Code for America is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of staff, presenters, and participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for the Code for America Summit. Anyone in violation of these policies may be expelled from Code for America events and digital forums at the discretion of the event organizer or forum administrator.

Harassment includes but is not limited to: offensive verbal or written comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion; sexual images in public spaces; deliberate intimidation; stalking; following; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or other events; inappropriate physical contact; unwelcome sexual attention; unwarranted exclusion; and patronizing language or action.

If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from Code for America events, digital forums, and network activities.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of the event staff or forum administrator immediately. You can also email safespace@codeforamerica.org. 

We value your attendance and hope that by communicating these expectations widely we can all enjoy a harassment-free environment.

Email template for Anti-Harassment Reporting

SUBJECT: Safe Space alert at The Code for America Summit

I am writing because of harassment at a Code for America Communities event, (NAME, PLACE, DATE OF EVENT).

You can reach me at (CONTACT INFO). Thank you.