How to Recognize Harassment
Professional ideas and information are exchanged most effectively at the AAG Annual Meeting and other AAG events in an atmosphere that is free of discrimination or harassment, and is characterized by courtesy and respect. AAG expects all participants and guests at its events to conduct themselves in a manner that contributes to such an atmosphere. Importantly, not only are all participants expected to treat others with respect and consideration and follow venue rules, but are also expected to support a culture of respect by alerting staff or security when they have knowledge of dangerous situations, are subjected to or witness violations of professional conduct, or know of individuals in distress.
What constitutes harassment?
Here is a list of behaviors that are specifically prohibited by AAG, whether directed at other attendees, AAG staff, speakers, exhibitors, or event venue staff. This list is not meant to be comprehensive, but to give general guidance as to what constitutes harassing behavior:
- Physical or verbal intimidation, including threats, stalking, or unwelcome following;
- Any conduct that is harassing, abusive, discriminatory, or intentionally demeaning of a person by any attendees at the event and related event activities;
- Personal attacks or other behavior during disagreements or in discussions;
- Offensive verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, national origin, gender identity, or disability;
- Inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces (including presentation slides);
- Harassing or intimidating photography or recording
- Sustained disruption of talks or other events; and
- Unwelcome physical contact or sexual attention, including unwelcome sexual flirtations, advances, or propositions; unwelcome verbal comments or physical actions of a sexual nature; sexually degrading words used to describe an individual; an unwelcome display of sexually suggestive objects or pictures; sexually explicit jokes; and offensive, unwanted physical contact such as patting, pinching, grabbing, groping, or constant brushing against another’s body.
If you are asked to stop any harassing behavior at an AAG-sponsored or -associated event, you are expected to comply immediately.
Social events. Because of the informal nature of social events, AAG encourages participants and guests to be mindful of behavior that is or could be perceived as harassment, sexual or otherwise. While AAG encourages networking and strengthening of connections between participants at social gatherings, AAG reserves the right to remove any participant whose social attentions become unwelcome to another and who persists in such attentions after their unwelcome nature has been communicated. AAG also reserves the right to remove or exclude any participant or attendee who appears inebriated and who engages in conduct that interferes with the ability of other attendees to participate in and enjoy the conference.
In assessing reports of incidents that may violate this policy, AAG will make every effort to fairly and thoroughly investigate the accounts and information by all parties involved or directly witnessing such an incident.