SABA NA Membership & Digital Community Code of Conduct & Anti-Harassment Policy
Participation as a member or in any SABA North America (SABA NA) digital community constitutes agreement to comply with this Code and related terms.
SABA NA is committed to providing a professional, inclusive, respectful, and empowering environment for all members. This Code applies to all members, sponsors, staff, volunteers, and guests participating in any SABA NA membership activity or digital community, including all official WhatsApp channels.
1. Expected Conduct All participants are expected to:
● Act in a professional, respectful, civil, and considerate manner at all times.
● Help ensure SABA NA remains a welcoming, inclusive, supportive, and empowering environment for all.
● Comply with all Membership Terms and Conditions, SABA NA governing documents, and applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
● Communicate responsibly in all SABA NA-related digital spaces, including email, messaging platforms, and social media.
● Acknowledge that no communications within SABA NA digital communities or WhatsApp chats constitute legal advice.
2. Anti-Harassment Policy SABA NA prohibits harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and other inappropriate behavior. This policy applies to all membership platforms, digital sites, WhatsApp groups, and all membership-related communications.
2.1 Prohibited Conduct
Digital Community & Solicitation Rules
● External promotions or solicitations other than legal referrals and job postings are prohibited other than permitted promotions by SABA NA chapters. This includes promotion of other bar associations and programs.
● Sharing malware
● Phishing
● Credential theft
● Account sharing
● Circumventing platform security
Non-infringement of Intellectual Property Rights
● Participants may only post content they have the right to share and may not infringe copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, or other intellectual property rights.
Harassment & Discrimination
● Unwelcome verbal, written, or physical conduct.
● Doxxing, online harassment, posting or sharing degrading content, or other disruptive virtual behavior.
● Sexual harassment, including unwelcome sexual advances, comments, jokes, or imagery.
● Derogatory or offensive comments related to age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, religion, or any characteristic protected by law.
● Inappropriate use of nudity or sexual images in public spaces or presentations.
● Threatening, stalking, abusing, or bullying, or targeting any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, staff member, service provider, or guest.
Photography and Recording
● Unauthorized photography/recording of participants.
● Recording after being asked not to.
● Sharing private communications/screenshots of channel content without explicit permission, other than as needed for compliance with law or SABA NA policies.
Disruptive or Harmful Behavior
● Intimidation, stalking, or following.
● Sustained disruption of digital channels, sessions, meetings, or events.
● Inappropriate physical contact.
● Aggressive, abusive, or threatening behavior.
Reputational Harm
● SABA NA
● Defamatory statements.
● Knowingly false statements.
● False accusations against members.
● Publication of confidential allegations.
● Actions or statements that undermine, compromise, or damage the reputation or standing of SABA NA.
Retaliation
● Any adverse action taken against an individual for reporting a concern, seeking advice, or participating in an investigation.
3. Monitoring Platforms SABA NA reserves the right, but not the obligation, to review, monitor, preserve, remove, or disclose content posted within association platforms as reasonably necessary to enforce this Code, protect participants, comply with law, or protect the organization.
4. Disclaimers
● Communications occurring within WhatsApp, or other digital platforms should not be considered private or confidential.
● To the fullest extent permitted by law, SABA NA shall not be liable for the acts, omissions, statements, content, services, conduct, or representations of participants, members, sponsors, or third parties.
● SABA NA does not provide professional, legal, financial, tax, engineering, medical, employment, regulatory, safety, compliance, or other professional advice. Any information shared by members is solely the responsibility of the individual posting it. Participants are responsible for independently evaluating any information received.
● Membership does not constitute endorsement, certification, accreditation, recommendation, vetting, or approval of any member, company, service provider, or product.
● Participants are solely responsible for all content, communications, files, images, links, and information they publish or distribute through association platforms.
● SABA NA is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, legality, or reliability of member-generated content.
5. Reporting Concerns Anyone who experiences or witnesses conduct that they have determined in good faith may violate this Code is encouraged to report the concern here. SABA NA provides an option for anonymous reporting to reduce barriers to disclosure and ensure participants feel safe raising concerns. SABA NA will make reasonable efforts to maintain confidentiality, consistent with the need to investigate and address reported concerns. Reports may be shared with SABA NA’s Board, Executive Committee, staff, and legal advisors. Retaliation is strictly prohibited. Any retaliation against an individual who reports a concern, seeks guidance, or participates in an investigation will be treated as a separate violation of this Code.
For Immediate Safety Threats:
● If someone is in immediate danger, contact 911 first.
● SABA may contact law enforcement where appropriate.
6. Investigation Process Upon receiving a report, SABA NA will conduct a prompt, fair, and reasonable review of the matter. This may include:
● Speaking with the individual who reported the concern (if known).
● Speaking with the individual alleged to have engaged in misconduct.
● Speaking with witnesses.
● Reviewing relevant information.
SABA NA may take immediate steps to protect participants while a review is ongoing, including temporarily restricting an individual's access to WhatsApp groups or digital platforms.
7. Enforcement If SABA NA determines that a violation has occurred, it may take one or more of the following actions, without refund:
● Verbal or written warning.
● Removal from a specific WhatsApp section or digital channel.
● Suspension or Termination of SABA NA Membership.
● Prohibition from holding future SABA NA membership or attending events.
● SABA NA reserves the right to suspend or terminate membership consistent with its bylaws and applicable law.
8. Scope of Application This Code applies to:
● All SABA NA members and participants.
● All digital and online spaces associated with SABA NA (particularly WhatsApp communities).
● All communications made in connection with SABA NA membership.