The Squam Writes Retreat is dedicated to providing a safe and harassment-free environment for all of our mentors and participants. We have a zero-tolerance policy regarding harassment, intimidation, and discrimination. This includes all harassment, intimidation, and discrimination made on the basis of race, age, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, religion, class, body size, veteran status, marital/domestic partnership status, citizenship or any other marginalized identity. Harassment includes verbal comments, written comments, displayed images, or behaviors such as deliberate intimidation, stalking, body policing, unwelcome photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, unwelcome sexual attention, and bullying or coercion of any kind, in particular forcing another to accept your beliefs.

 

Code of Conduct

All Squam Writes participants, including faculty, staff, and attendees, must refrain from:

 

• Deliberate intimidation, stalking or following.

• Sustained disruption of workshops, presentations, panels, or other events.

• Inappropriate physical contact.

• Unwelcome sexual attention.

• Abusive verbal comments.

• Requests for sex or a sexual relationship in exchange for professional consideration or favors.

 

Harassment does not include respectful disagreement or reasonable and respectful critique made in good faith. We welcome and appreciate controversial ideas, free speech, and creative artistic expression. We encourage all attendees to hold one another accountable to the Code of Conduct and to seriously consider other perspectives should a disagreement arise.

 

Reporting Procedures

Any person who believes there has been a violation of this Anti-Harassment Policy can report the offense in one or both of the following ways:

 

• In person at the retreat: We, the Squam Writes Co-Directors, will provide a safe space for any attendee to report an incident.

• By email: Attendees may contact us anonymously or with identifying information using the "contact us" form on this website. To report an incident, please information about what happened, who was involved, the date, and a list of witnesses (if any). The website email will be monitored at all times, including during the retreat weekend. We will fully investigate all complaints and take necessary and appropriate action to prevent a recurrence.

 

Non-Retaliation

We appreciate your coming forward to report incidents of harassment and it is our policy that there will be no retaliation against you or anyone else in our Squam Writes community for reporting harassment, intimidation or discrimination, or for participating in an investigation relating to any complaint made.

 

Sanctions

Squam Writes takes all allegations of harassment seriously. We will investigate every report of harassment to the best of our ability and implement sanctions where we deem them appropriate and necessary. 

 

Sanctions for mentors 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;

• temporarily or permanently denying participation in this and future Squam Writes Retreats;

• withholding the contracted honorarium.

 

Sanctions for attendees, members, and guests can include any of the following:

 

• warning the party involved that specified behavior is inappropriate and must be ceased;

• immediate removal from the event, without refund;

• temporarily or permanently denying participation in this and future Squam Writes Retreats.

 

Confidentiality

Squam Writes respects your privacy and that of everyone at our events. We will do our best and make every reasonable effort to protect the confidentiality of all parties when we investigate allegations of harassment, intimidation, or discrimination. However, please know, confidentiality is not absolute. If there is a legitimate legal or business reason, we may be compelled to divulge information about the complaint. We expect all parties to treat matters under investigation with discretion and respect the reputation of everyone involved.

 

*Squam Writes acknowledges the contributions of Geek Feminism, Science Fiction Writers of America, WisCon, and SCBWI for their work in developing anti-harassment policies.

 

If you wish to file a complaint, CLICK HERE and scroll to the bottom of our Home Page to contact us.