Photo credit: Leslie the Pony Lion and Amy. Photo © Sara Muskulus

Participation Restrictions, Warnings, and Suspension Policy

FirePony Creative Society (FPCS) may impose participation restrictions when necessary to support participant safety, community wellbeing, event operations, or organizational integrity.

Participation restrictions may apply to:

  • Event attendance
  • Volunteer roles
  • Leadership positions
  • Access to organizational infrastructure or spaces
  • Participation in specific activities or programs

Restrictions may result from:

  • Conduct Committee recommendations,
  • event safety concerns,
  • policy violations,
  • or Board action.

Purpose of Participation Restrictions

Participation restrictions are intended to:

  • Reduce risk of future harm
  • Address ongoing safety concerns
  • Support safer event operations
  • Encourage accountability and behavioral change when appropriate
  • Protect participants, volunteers, and organizational infrastructure

The conduct process is safety-focused rather than punitive.

Types of Restrictions and Outcomes

Possible outcomes may include:

  • Educational warnings
  • Behavioral agreements
  • No-contact directives
  • Volunteer or leadership restrictions
  • Temporary event removal
  • Suspension from participation
  • Indefinite suspension
  • Permanent bans

Restrictions may apply to:

  • all FPCS events,
  • specific events,
  • volunteer roles,
  • leadership positions,
  • or other organizational activities.

Factors Considered

When evaluating participation restrictions, the organization may consider:

  • Severity of conduct
  • Pattern of behavior
  • Escalation concerns
  • Participant safety impact
  • Prior conduct history
  • Compliance with prior restrictions
  • Retaliation concerns
  • Organizational or operational risk
  • Likelihood of future harm

Not all reports result in sanctions or restrictions.

The organization evaluates available information through a structured review and risk assessment process.

Educational Warnings

Warnings may be issued when:

  • Conduct concerns are lower-risk
  • Behavior appears correctable
  • Educational intervention is appropriate
  • Additional restrictions are not currently necessary

Warnings may be verbal or written.

Repeated conduct concerns after a warning may result in escalated restrictions.

Volunteer and Leadership Restrictions

FPCS reserves the right to limit or remove access to volunteer or leadership positions when concerns exist regarding:

  • Participant safety
  • Abuse of authority
  • Boundary violations
  • Reliability or professionalism
  • Operational risk
  • Policy compliance

Leadership restrictions may occur independently of event attendance restrictions.

Suspensions and Bans

Participation suspensions may be:

  • Temporary
  • Multi-event
  • Indefinite
  • Permanent

Indefinite suspensions may be used when ongoing safety or organizational concerns require removal from participation but future reconsideration may be possible.

Permanent bans may be imposed when the organization determines that an individual presents an ongoing and unacceptable risk to participant safety, organizational integrity, or community wellbeing.

Notification Process

Individuals subject to participation restrictions will generally receive written notice including:

  • Type of restriction
  • Scope of restriction
  • Duration, when applicable
  • Relevant conditions or expectations
  • Information regarding appeal or reconsideration eligibility when applicable

In some emergency or operational situations, temporary restrictions may be implemented before a full review is completed.

Reconsideration and Appeals

Participants may request reconsideration or appeal participation restrictions according to organizational procedures.

Possible grounds for appeal or reconsideration may include:

  • Significant procedural concerns
  • New relevant information
  • Demonstrated behavioral change
  • Compliance with prior restrictions
  • Passage of required waiting periods

The organization may limit the frequency of reconsideration requests.

Submission of an appeal does not automatically pause or overturn existing restrictions.

Community Notification

FPCS generally does not publicly disclose participation restrictions or conduct outcomes.

However, limited operational or safety-related notification may occur when reasonably necessary to:

  • Protect participant safety
  • Coordinate event operations
  • Enforce restrictions
  • Address ongoing safety concerns

Any broader notification decisions are made at the discretion of organizational leadership and may consider participant privacy, safety concerns, and operational needs.

Requests About Restricted Participants

FPCS generally does not disclose whether an individual has been restricted, suspended, or banned unless operationally necessary.

Questions regarding participant safety concerns or event access may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Organizational Discretion

No policy can anticipate every situation.

FirePony Creative Society reserves the right to restrict participation, deny access, remove individuals from events or volunteer roles, or take other safety-related actions when reasonably necessary to protect participants, volunteers, event operations, or organizational wellbeing.

 

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