Be Safe!

Saga Con welcomes attendees of all backgrounds, identities, and experience levels. Harassment or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, age, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, body type, or appearance will not be tolerated.

Saga Con’s mission is to provide a safe space for the local community to come together through tabletop games. Whether you are an avid tabletop RPG fan, a board game enthusiast, or a small business focused on game design or art in the local North Shore area of Massachusetts, we aim to create a welcoming and safe environment for everyone.

If you have any questions about these policies or need assistance during the convention, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at: info@sagacon.org.

At a High Level

• Follow all convention policies, venue rules, and staff directions.

• Respect everyone’s physical and social boundaries and personal property.

• Respect comfort levels in gameplay, conversation, and physical interaction.

• No stealing, cheating, trolling, or griefing.

• No running, jumping, throwing, or other unsafe physical acts.

• Support each other in maintaining a safe environment.

• Report concerns to staff or volunteers wearing Saga Con badges or shirts. We’re here to help. Reports will be handled respectfully and as privately as possible.

Harassment and Disruptive Behavior 
Anti-Harassment Policy
Saga Con is committed to providing a safe environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Harassment or unwelcome conduct, whether verbal, physical, visual, or in any other form, is strictly prohibited. Saga Con’s anti-harassment policy applies to all persons involved in the operation or attendance of the convention or Saga Con-sponsored event. Saga Con will not tolerate harassment of anyone by anyone, including participants, vendors, hosts, or Saga Con staff.
 
Saga Con defines harassment as any behavior threatening a person or group or producing an unsafe and non-inclusive environment. Harassment includes but is not limited to, offensive verbal comments or non-verbal expressions related to race, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, ethnicity, age, or religious beliefs.
 
Furthermore, harassment includes but is not limited to, sexual or discriminatory images in public and quasi-public spaces (online and offline), intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Harassment may take the form of comments, epithets, slurs, discriminatory or insensitive jokes, teasing, display or discussion of written or graphic material, repeatedly standing too close to or brushing up against a person, or giving gifts of an unwanted or sexual nature. Advocating or encouraging any of the above is also considered harassment.
 
Harassment at Saga Con does not include respectful disagreement or critique offered in good faith. Saga Con reserves the right to alter or broaden its definition of harassment at its sole discretion.
 
No one should tolerate any conduct of this type. Should you experience or witness harassment, you may choose to take any of the following actions:
 

• If you feel safe and comfortable doing so, ask the offender to stop. Whether the offending behavior is intentional or unintentional, expressing your discomfort to the offender directly may put a stop to that conduct.

• Leave the area. While this may seem unfair, it is sometimes best for your safety and well-being if you leave the area, especially if you feel uncomfortable around the offender or their conduct. After separating yourself from the conduct, you may wish to take additional actions.

• If you are comfortable doing so, ask a Saga Con staff member assigned to the room or on site security or staff member for help. You can find Saga Con volunteers and staff wearing shirts or badges..

• Report the incident formally to Saga Con, on site or online. You may go to the Show Office or any Event HQ to file an incident report in person. This can also be done anytime during or after the show by emailing info@sagacon.org

• Contact the police or other appropriate authorities. Your health and safety are our most important concern. If you require immediate assistance from law enforcement, medical services, or other governmental entities, please do not hesitate to contact such services directly.
   

 
Based on any informal or formal complaint or report of harassment, Saga Con may take the following steps. Note that this list is not exhaustive, and other appropriate action may be taken as necessary.

 

• Read and investigate all reports. Saga Con documents and reviews all reports. Reporting parties may be contacted for further clarification of information unless they have submitted a report anonymously or asked not to be contacted further. Note that Saga Con will not share the results of these reports with anyone, including the person who filed the report unless required by law.

• Intercede if and when appropriate. Saga Con staff may take immediate action to address harassment concerns, including but not limited to escorting participants to a location in which they feel safe, refunding tickets, canceling events, moving event locations, requesting participants leave a specific area, removing offenders from the event, or banning offenders from the show. Bans and removals may be on a temporary basis, for the duration of the show, or permanent.

• Contact police and medical authorities when appropriate. If, upon review, Saga Con finds that relevant local government officials should be notified, Saga Con may contact such entities and/or share confidential information as required by law.

• Sanction participants based on our investigations. Saga Con participants found to have violated the Code of Conduct may be subject to sanctions, including but not limited to:

• Verbal or written warning

• Requiring the participant to avoid any interaction with and physical proximity to the party or parties involved

• Temporary suspension from any Saga Con sponsored events or online services

• A permanent ban from any Saga Con sponsored events or online services.

• Immediate expulsion from the convention without refund

• Reporting of the incident to the appropriate authorities
  
  Saga Con's Code of Conduct applies in all physical and online spaces within Saga Con's control. This includes, but is not limited to, event venues, Pop-Up Saga Con locations, Saga Con social media pages, streamed programming, and Saga Con forums. Occasionally, Saga Con is made aware of behavior by participants (or potential participants) that has occurred outside of Saga Con — either online or offline — and is a gross violation of our Code of Conduct. These actions need not occur in Saga Con-affiliated spaces to be considered for sanctions by Saga Con. These include, but are not limited to:
   

  • Individuals who have not attended Saga Con but have a history of abusive behavior and/or known incidents that took place outside Saga Con that may cause risks to a participant’s safety or which may contribute to a hostile or non-inclusive environment at the convention

  • Saga Con participants who have been reported for outside incidents, including, but not limited to, conduct at other conventions, threatening or abusive behavior online, or assault

  • We understand that, at times, participants will have disagreements or interpersonal conflicts that do not necessarily escalate to the point of harassment or abuse. Saga Con will not arbitrate such disagreements—we ask that you please leave these conflicts at home.

 
Saga Con continuously strives to create a safe and welcoming space. Should you have any suggestions for how we can improve, please email us at info@sagacon.org
 
This originally comes from the GenCon Code of Conduct and Anti-Harassment Policy which is licensed under the Creative Commons License.  Please see the original here.