Sexual Harassment & Safety Policy
GardenComm is dedicated to providing a safe, hospitable, and productive environment for everyone attending our events, regardless of sex, ethnicity, race, religion, disability, physical appearance, gender identity/expression, or sexual orientation. It is important to remember that a community where people feel uncomfortable or threatened is neither healthy nor productive. Accordingly, GardenComm prohibits intimidating, threatening, or harassing conduct during our conferences. This policy applies to speakers, staff, volunteers, and attendees. Conference and event participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference or event, at the discretion of GardenComm leadership.
Harassment of GardenComm participants will not be tolerated in any form. Harassment includes offensive gestures or verbal comments related to ethnicity, religion, disability, physical appearance, gender, or sexual orientation in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome attention. Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.
If a participant or exhibitor engages in harassing behavior, GardenComm leadership may take any action they deem appropriate, ranging from a simple warning to the offender to expulsion from this and future conferences and events. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please do not hesitate to contact GardenComm staff who can work with appropriate GardenComm leadership to resolve the situation.
All complaints will be treated seriously, kept as confidential as possible and investigated fully.
GardenComm staff will be happy to help participants contact convention center/hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, and otherwise assist those experiencing harassment, to enable them to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We value your attendance, and want to make your experience as productive and professionally stimulating as possible.