Coalition for Global Hearing Health (CGHH) is committed to providing a safe environment for conference attendees to interact and to exchange information. CGHH Conference attendees must attest to and agree to follow the Code of Conduct below:
Overview
As the organizers of the CGHH Conference, we are committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and productive experience for all conference participants regardless of sex, race, color, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, or any other basis protected by federal or state laws. Discrimination and harassment will not be tolerated at CGHH Conferences and we are committed to enforcing this Code of Conduct for the safety, benefit, and equal opportunity of everyone in our community.
Compliance with this Code of Conduct is required of all CGHH Conference participants, staff, and guests. This policy is an expression of our values and our commitment to the safety and well-being of all involved in CGHH Conferences. However, it is not an acknowledgement, admission, or description of legal obligations on the part of the conference organizers, and does not create any such legal obligations.
Prohibited Conduct
Please behave thoughtfully, respectfully, and kindly toward your fellow conference participants. Violence or threats of violence are obviously prohibited. However, we must also remain vigilant regarding subtler forms of abuse and disrespect that can occur, such as harassment in its many degrees and potential forms, to ensure that everyone at CGHH Conferences has a positive experience during the conference.
Harassment is any behavior that creates an intimidating, offensive, or hostile environment. It can include derogatory speech, actions, and visual conduct, such as insults, slurs, unwanted sexual advances, offensive gestures, and the display of offensive imagery, among many other behaviors.
For a more comprehensive description of harassment, we refer you to the following text from the Association for Research in Otolaryngology (ARO):
Harassing conduct can take many forms and includes, but is not limited to, the following: slurs, epithets, derogatory comments, insults, degrading or obscene words, jokes, demeaning statements, offensive gestures, or displaying derogatory or demeaning pictures, drawings, or cartoons based upon an individual’s sex, race, color, national origin, religion, age, physical or mental disability, perceived disability, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other basis protected by federal or pertinent state laws or local ordinances.
Sexually harassing conduct in particular includes all of these prohibited actions, as well as other unwelcome conduct that is sexual in nature, such as unwanted sexual advances; lewd propositions or innuendos; leering; making sexual gestures; making sexually suggestive or graphic comments or engaging in inappropriate sexually-oriented conversation; displaying sexually suggestive objects, graphics, pictures, or posters, whether physically or over the Internet; making or using derogatory comments, epithets, slurs or jokes; the sexual touching or display of one’s own body; or unwanted physical touching or assault, as well as impeding or blocking movements.
Sexually harassing conduct can be by a person of either the same or opposite sex. It is a violation of this policy for males to sexually harass females or other males, and for females to sexually harass males or other females. Conduct that begins as consensual in nature may become harassment if one party withdraws his or her consent. Sexual or other harassment prohibited by this policy is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
The above list of prohibited behaviors is not a complete rendering of what may be deemed sexual or other harassment prohibited by this policy. It is impossible to define every action or word that could be interpreted as harassment.
At CGHH, there is a “zero tolerance” policy toward discrimination and all forms of harassment. We, the organizers, reserve the right to discipline anyone at the meeting who engages in inappropriate or mean-spirited conduct, whether or not it has been specifically described by this Code of Conduct.
Reporting an Incident
IMPORTANT: If you witness or experience behavior posing an immediate or serious threat to the safety of yourself or others, please seek safety and contact the police at 911.
Meeting participants or other individuals who otherwise witness or experience inappropriate conduct at CGHH Conferences are encouraged to report such conduct immediately to the conference organizers Jackie Clark at jclark@utdallas.edu or James Saunders at james.e.saunders@hitchcock.org.
You may also file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as explained at this link: https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/filing-a-complaint/index.html. Please note that you are free to file a complaint with the HHS OCR before, after, or instead of reporting a complaint to the CGHH organizers.
You can also notify the National Institutes of Health (NIH) about concerns of harassment, including sexual harassment, discrimination, and other forms of inappropriate conduct at NIH-supported conferences, using information at this link: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/harassment/find-help.htm.
Any individual reporting harassment or inappropriate conduct is not required or expected to discuss the concern with the alleged offender.
Investigation
We, the CGHH Conference organizers, or a designated independent consultant, will promptly and impartially investigate the facts and circumstances of any claim of inappropriate conduct or harassment reported to us under this policy, making every effort to keep the reporting individual’s concerns confidential wherever possible. The investigation process will generally involve (as needed): 1) documenting the complaint; 2) interviewing the complainant; 3) conducting further interviews as necessary, such as with witnesses and, at an appropriate time, the alleged offender; 4) documenting the investigator’s findings regarding the complaint; 5) documenting recommended follow-up actions and remedies, if warranted; and 6) informing the complainant of the basic nature of the findings.
Upon completion of the investigation, the CGHH Conference organizers will take appropriate corrective measures against any person who has engaged in conduct prohibited by this policy, if such measures are determined to be necessary.
Disciplinary Action
If we, the CGHH Conference organizers, determine that an individual has engaged in prohibited conduct, we shall determine the appropriate action to be taken, which may include, but is not limited to: 1) private reprimand, 2) removal from the meeting without warning or refund, 3) implementation of conditions upon attendance at future CGHH Conference meetings, 4) restriction from attendance at future CGHH Conference meetings.
We, the CGHH Conference organizers, may, but are not required to, report any incident to proper authorities, including but not limited to law enforcement. Nothing in this policy shall restrict or discourage any individual who experiences or is the target of conduct prohibited by this policy from reporting such conduct to the authorities, to the extent he or she deems such a report advisable or necessary.
Retaliation Is Not Tolerated
Retaliation for complaints of inappropriate conduct or harassment is also considered harassment and will not be tolerated. Retaliatory behavior in connection with CGHH Conferences will be investigated in a similar manner to initial complaints.