Recently, members of the Community Team and Incident Response Team took steps to cancel a scheduled WordCamp. This was an unfortunate but necessary decision on our part, and we want to provide more clarity regarding the factors that led to this decision.
The decision to cancel the event was not a result of inadequate planning or insufficient effort on the part of the organizing team. Instead, there were observable actions from local community members to influence decisions that would benefit specific individuals or companies. When this influence did not immediately lead to their desired results, the individuals aimed to undermine the organizing process and event success. While the Community Team took steps to mediate, the inappropriate behavior and actions we saw necessitated the cancelation. This is a rare and extreme decision and underscores the severity of the situation.
In response to such behavior, these actions were taken:
- Those who demonstrated unacceptable actions received formal notices in accordance with the Code of Conduct. Response plans included the removal of a deputy and mentor role and banning involved companies from sponsorship of WordPress events for a period of one year.
- As the issue extended to the local Meetup as well, all Co-Organizers and Event Organizers were removed from their roles and were asked to repeat Meetup organizer orientation to gain access again.
In times of challenges like these, it is important to remember that anyone can organize WordPress events regardless of who they work for and that WordPress community events are for the benefit of everyone, not any one business or individual. As a community, we will not tolerate harassment or influencing unacceptable behaviors.
🔖 Reference: Agreement among WordCamp Organizers, Speakers, Sponsors, and Volunteers
We are hopeful the community will really come together, fostering a culture centered on collaboration and community values.