In mid-2022 a number of women members of APNSA made complaints against male members of APNSA.

In September the Coordinating Committee appointed a Judiciary Committee, as outlined in our Constitution, to investigate the complaints and related issues and make recommendations to how the APNSA should respond.

The Coordinating Committee also suspended the membership of both members until the Judiciary Committee had completed its investigation.

The Judiciary Committee states, in relation to Person A:

  • The incidents of harassment by A, while probably not intentional and part of a pattern of behavior that did not only impact women, did impact women much more than men, and that impact was magnified by the background of threats to safety that are experienced by most women.
  • The Judiciary Committee recommended further consideration of how to manage this member’s behavior, however the Coordinating Committee determined not to reinstate his membership.

In relation to Person B:

  • The Judiciary Committee determined that the discomfort created by his behavior was largely the result of miscommunications due to neurodiversity.

And in general, states:

  • That the problems created by the behaviour of these members could have been largely prevented if the Coordinating Committee had responded earlier and more decisively.
  • The Judiciary Committee Report makes a number of recommendations about how to improve the rules of process of the APNSA, to ensure women and all other members are provided with a safe and inclusive environment.

The report is available here, so all members can understand the issues and the process followed by the Coordinating Committee and the Judiciary Committee.

Names have been redacted to protect privacy.

Contact David Winderlich, Chair of the Judiciary Committee, if you want to discuss any aspect of this report at winderlich@gmail.com, or on Facebook.