Anti-Harassment Policy

Colorado Anime Fest is dedicated to providing a fun, safe environment for everyone to enjoy and we take reports of harassment very seriously. We’ll thoroughly investigate every reported incident and take action as appropriate.

What Constitutes Harassment

Harassment includes, but is not limited to: all forms and expressions of discrimination; bullying; abusive verbal comments; displaying sexual images in public spaces; deliberate intimidation and stalking; unwanted photography or recording; being disruptive; inappropriate physical contact; unwelcome sexual attention; or encouraging any of the above.

Discrimination is based on the prejudice against someone because of their race; national origin; religion; gender; gender identity and expression; sexual orientation; disability; physical appearance; body size or type; or age. In other words: discrimination is based on prejudice against someone because of who they are.

Reporting Harassment

If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as soon as possible so our staff members have the best chance of conducting a successful investigation.

You can report any harassment incident at Operations or to any staff member. If you report it to a staff member, they’ll escort you to Operations to provide a statement about the incident. If you have mobility issues, the staff member will instead notify Operations that a statement needs to be taken and wait with you while a staff member arrives at your location to collect your statement.

You can also call or text our anti-harassment hotline during the convention, which will be actively monitored by our Operations team during the con. The hotline number is printed on the back of every badge.

Incidents may be reported anonymously, but doing so means we wouldn’t be able to ask you follow-up questions, which could limit the progress of an investigation. It would also mean that we wouldn’t be able to provide you with information about the resolution of your harassment report.

If you want to report an incident after the convention, send an e-mail to harassment@coanimefest.com and someone will reach out to you to collect more information. Please note, however, that our ability to identify the accused and investigate claims is significantly diminished after the convention and we may not be able to provide a satisfactory resolution to the report. This is why we urge any attendee that feels they’ve been the victim of harassment notify our staff during the convention.

Incidents Involving Convention Staff

Attendees should use the regular reporting channels outlined above to report incidents involving convention staff members. You may, however, request that a senior staff member—someone outside of the reported staff member’s immediate chain of command—take your statement instead of an Operations or Con Response staff member.

If you’re a staff member and you want to report another staff member for harassment, you can reach out directly to the Chief of Staff, the Vice Chair, or the Con Chair. They can be reached in numerous ways during the convention: via the staff radios; via the staff Discord server; and via cell phone—their phone numbers are printed on the backs of staff badges.

Taking Statements

We have a quiet, private space next to Operations where our staff will take your statement. If you have mobility issues, our staff will come to you instead. Statements will be taken by one or more members of the Operations or Con Response staff.

When taking your statement, our staff may ask you for your contact information for clarification and follow-up. You’re not required to provide this information, but it may help us with our inquiries if you do.

Our staff will document your statement using the medium you prefer to ensure the accuracy of the information. Our staff will offer you a copy of the statement for your own records, but doing so will require collecting your e-mail address.

All statements will be kept strictly confidential and access to the statements will be limited to the people directly involved in resolving the incident and to those following up. Your name and personal information will never be shared with the accused, nor will it be transmitted via radio or used for any purpose other than the resolution of the reported incident.

Harassment Investigations

A principal will be assigned to lead the investigation of harassment reports. The type of situation being reported will determine who is assigned as the principal:

The principal may involve other members of senior staff as required.

Depending on the nature of the harassment that was reported, the accused may be removed from the convention floor while the claim is investigated and resolved.

Consequences for Violators

If an investigation corroborates the harassment report, the severity of the repercussions will be commensurate with the severity of the harassment.

Possible consequences for intentional harassing behavior include, but are not limited to: receiving a one-time warning; revocation of a badge without a refund; immediate expulsion from the convention; a lifetime ban from the convention; and referral of the matter to law enforcement. If someone is issued a warning and persists with their behavior, they’ll face immediate expulsion and a probable ban.

Incidents found to result from legitimate misunderstandings may result in conversations with both parties in an effort to prevent such misunderstandings in the future. Successive incidents involving the same party will be treated as intentional behavior and handled accordingly.

This policy text is licensed under the CC0 public domain license.