Leaving the WG and warning to others
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Daphne Preston-Kendal
Aug 26, 2026, 4:10:21 PMAug 26
to scheme-reports-wg2
Dear WG2 members,
I am resigning from the Working Group with immediate effect.
I also strongly recommend anyone who is from a marginalized background or who belongs to a community which often experiences discrimination in the computing world to do the same for your own safety. Also, I politely suggest to those who care about creating a safe, professional working environment with effective discrimination protections for people from such backgrounds and communities that they do the same.
As you will recall from our meeting of 28 July, one of the issues between me and the current Steering Committee was my concern that Arthur Gleckler is not a suitable person to deal with code of conduct issues. This concern is based on both his public statements and on my private experiences working with him in his role as SRFI Editor.
My proposed resolution had I remained in the chair, and which I intended to recommend to my successor, was to install a separate moderation and awareness team, with people experienced in dealing with relevant issues, and relieving the SC of direct responsibility for such matters. (It was by my own decision, under the previous SC, that the SC had first-instance responsibility for code of conduct enforcement in the first place.) Specifically, I had sought out the assistance of Sebastian Crane, chair of the F-Droid board, and Peter Brett, a Schemer with significant trade union experience.
(This was all mentioned in the meeting of 28 July.)
This evening I just received an email from Shiro on behalf of the SC making clear that the Steering Committee will not allow the foundation of a separate moderation and awareness team by the WG itself or its own chair, and that it considers itself the only acceptable body to deal with code of conduct issues.
Since the Steering Committee includes someone whom, based on my personal experience, I strongly believe will not deliver justice to those affected by harassment and other forms of discrimination, I can only conclude that the WG is no longer a safe place for people from the communities I care about, and I must sadly recommend that it is time for us to leave the WG behind.
I find that the hostile and uncooperative tone of communication of the current SC towards the WG also speaks for itself.
Best wishes
Daphne
I am resigning from the Working Group with immediate effect.
I also strongly recommend anyone who is from a marginalized background or who belongs to a community which often experiences discrimination in the computing world to do the same for your own safety. Also, I politely suggest to those who care about creating a safe, professional working environment with effective discrimination protections for people from such backgrounds and communities that they do the same.
As you will recall from our meeting of 28 July, one of the issues between me and the current Steering Committee was my concern that Arthur Gleckler is not a suitable person to deal with code of conduct issues. This concern is based on both his public statements and on my private experiences working with him in his role as SRFI Editor.
My proposed resolution had I remained in the chair, and which I intended to recommend to my successor, was to install a separate moderation and awareness team, with people experienced in dealing with relevant issues, and relieving the SC of direct responsibility for such matters. (It was by my own decision, under the previous SC, that the SC had first-instance responsibility for code of conduct enforcement in the first place.) Specifically, I had sought out the assistance of Sebastian Crane, chair of the F-Droid board, and Peter Brett, a Schemer with significant trade union experience.
(This was all mentioned in the meeting of 28 July.)
This evening I just received an email from Shiro on behalf of the SC making clear that the Steering Committee will not allow the foundation of a separate moderation and awareness team by the WG itself or its own chair, and that it considers itself the only acceptable body to deal with code of conduct issues.
Since the Steering Committee includes someone whom, based on my personal experience, I strongly believe will not deliver justice to those affected by harassment and other forms of discrimination, I can only conclude that the WG is no longer a safe place for people from the communities I care about, and I must sadly recommend that it is time for us to leave the WG behind.
I find that the hostile and uncooperative tone of communication of the current SC towards the WG also speaks for itself.
Best wishes
Daphne
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