Bay State Council of the Blind Code of Conduct Policy

Reporting Complaints

As part of our ongoing effort to ensure the BSCB community is welcoming, respectful, and safe, all participants in virtual and in-person BSCB and BSCB Chapter events must agree to BSCB’s Code of Conduct. BSCB takes any violation of the code seriously, and we encourage concerns to be communicated using any or all of the following contact methods: 

Contact information for all members of the BSCB Board is listed on the website: https://acbofma.org/bscb-officers-and-directors/.

If an individual prefers to file a report to a specific person or group of people, the correspondence will be kept in confidence, fully investigated, and acted upon.

The Code of Conduct

Approved May 18, 2024

The Bay State Council of the Blind (hereinafter referred to as BSCB) is committed to maintaining the integrity of its events by creating a welcoming, respectful, professional, and safe environment for all who attend and/or participate in its events. The term “events” shall include conferences, meetings, functions, or any other gatherings sponsored or convened by BSCB or its’ Chapters whether live, virtual or hybrid. Written and verbal communications are also included. 

All participants are required to adhere to this Code of Conduct policy as drafted and adopted by the BSCB board of directors. This policy defines prohibited conduct as including, but not limited to:

  • Unwelcome verbal, written, visual, or physical conduct on the basis of race, religion, age, disability, gender identification, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law, or.
  • Disrespectful, offensive and/or threatening conduct, verbal abuse, stalking, bullying, violence, or intimidation.

Any person who believes that they have experienced or witnessed behavior prohibited by this policy must report the conduct no later than three months after the incident has occurred. Upon receipt of an allegation reported under this policy, BSCB will investigate, and the BSCB President, BSCB First Vice President, and BSCB Second Vice President or their designees will thereafter determine what, if any, action will be taken, and then bring their recommendation before an Executive Session of the BSCB Board for discussion and approval. The Chapter President would be included if the situation occurred at a Chapter event. The adjudicating body must begin investigating the concern within 30 days of the report. The investigating body will then have sixty (60) days to investigate and then submit their recommendation to the Board.. The complainant or the investigating body may request an extension of this time from the Board of Directors if additional time is needed. 

If the accusation is against one of the officers listed, that individual must recuse themselves from the investigation and final decision making. The Board would approve their replacement. 

The President has the discretion to appoint an additional or alternate individual for the investigating body if warranted by the nature of the complaint. Actions that might be taken could include but are not limited to education, warning, suspension from activities of the BSCB or its chapters, or removal from office. Note that Chapter Presidents would also be informed about a potential policy violation and actions being taken. 

If the situation of concern is occurring during an event, the individual impacted by the event or a witness is encouraged to contact security at the event location, call 911, and/or report it to leadership for more immediate assistance with addressing the situation. For virtual events, the President, Event coordinator and audio support individuals can mute or block an individual if behavior warrants such an action under the Code of Conduct. For these types of occurrences, the steps above in the policy would then be further investigated after the event. 

Nothing in this policy shall limit or preclude the free exchange of ideas and/or opinions so long as such exchange does not involve threats or other prohibited behavior as defined in this policy.