Friday Night Dancers (FND) Policy on Safety and Inappropriate Behavior
We strive to create a community social event in which everyone feels welcome and comfortable, and a place that is safe and free of inappropriate behavior. In pursuit of these goals, FND is dedicated to providing harassment-free events for everyone, regardless of gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, ability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, or religion (or lack thereof). We do not tolerate harassment of event participants, including volunteers and staff, in any form, nor do we tolerate any unsafe behavior. It is challenging to differentiate between acceptable and unacceptable behavior as well as to interpret intent and whether an action was an accident. We are addressing harassment and unsafe actions that put other dancers’ physical, psychological, and emotional safety at risk.
To achieve these goals, all rules of the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture (GEPPAC) and FND, as well as common sense safety rules, must be followed at all times. Inappropriate behavior may include, but is not limited to, physical impact, dancing too closely, dancing with hands in inappropriate body areas, dancing with unwelcome bodily contact, roughness, intoxication, inappropriate advances, intimidation (verbal or physical), harassment (verbal or physical), and violation of published or posted safety requirements, including COVID-19 policies. Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to sex, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, and religion. It also includes sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.
Participants should feel comfortable to tell any other participant to stop an action or behavior, without explanation required at the time. Any request to stop should be honored, whether a perceived miscommunication or not. Participants are welcome to bring comments, complaints, and/or disputes to FND Board members to help facilitate resolution.
We prefer first to speak with a dancer who is behaving unsafely or inappropriately, in order to alter the dancer's behavior. We recognize, however, that not everyone is willing to change their behavior. If the problem seems to be ongoing, or if we observe or hear reports of any unsafe behavior, then the process described below will used.
There are some behaviors, such as a physical assault, that are so egregious that immediate strong action may be taken. Such severe behavior will be dealt with immediately and intermediate steps may be skipped.
Process for Dealing with Unsafe or Inappropriate Behavior
Two or more members of the FND Board will speak with the person, warning the dancer that the next time the behavior is noted, the dancer will be asked to leave the hall immediately.
At the time of this discussion, the dancer will be told that they may remain at the dance and will be allowed to return to dance at a future time, if they no longer exhibit the behavior of concern. The person will be warned that if they return and the behavior is noted again, they will be escorted off the premises and banned from the dance for six months.
The dancer will be given a copy of the safety and behavior policy and required to give their name, email address, and phone number. If they do not provide this information, they will be escorted from the dance and banned permanently.
In lieu of the in-person warning, the dancer may be given notice by email, postal mail, or other means in writing, if the Safety and Behavior Committee of the FND Board passes a motion to give the dancer written warning.
2. If, after the action in step 1, the dancer returns and again behaves unsafely or inappropriately, the dancer will be escorted out of the dance and banned from the dance for six months. The dancer will receive an emailed record of the ban, showing the expiration date of the ban.
3. After the ban has expired, the dancer may apply to us for re-admission to the dance on a probationary basis. This application should be in writing to the FND President, who will present it to the FND Board. If the FND Board agrees to allow the dancer to return, the dancer will be informed, in writing or by email, that a single complaint may result in immediate renewal of the ban, and issuance of a "Notice of Refusal to Admit," which will be permanent. If possible, the dancer will be asked to initial the Notice. A copy will be kept in our files and a copy will be provided to GEPPAC.
If a dancer refuses to initial a copy of any Warning or Notice, that person will immediately be asked to leave the dance, and an immediate Notice of Refusal to Admit with a notation regarding the dancer's refusal to initial the copy will be kept in our files and a copy will be provided to GEPPAC.
If a dancer has been refused admittance to a dance but enters the dance, we will call the National Capitol Park Police at 202-610-7500, and one of their officers will escort that person from the premises.
A written record of these interactions will be made by emailing president@fridaynightdancers.org; who will keep a copy of this email in the “Problem Dancer” file.