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TROPICON COMMUNITY CONDUCT AND ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY

Effective Date: 08/28/26

1. Our Commitment

Fast Layne LLC and TropiCon Book Expo are committed to providing a welcoming, professional, and accessible environment for readers, authors, vendors, guests, volunteers, contractors, staff, and event partners.

Discrimination, harassment, threats, retaliation, and other conduct that materially interferes with another person’s safety or ability to participate are not permitted.

This policy is a code of conduct for TropiCon-related spaces. It is not intended to prevent respectful disagreement, good-faith criticism, honest reviews, contractual questions, refund requests, or reports of misconduct.

2. Who and What This Policy Covers

This policy applies to:

  • Attendees, authors, vendors, guests, personal assistants, models, volunteers, contractors, staff, organizers, speakers, sponsors, and event partners

  • TropiCon and Fast Layne LLC event venues and official activities

  • Official TropiCon social media groups, pages, forums, virtual events, and other online spaces controlled by Fast Layne LLC

  • Communications sent through official event channels

  • Off-site or online conduct that is directly connected to an event and creates a credible safety concern or materially interferes with another person’s participation

This policy does not ordinarily govern unrelated private conduct or independent online discussion merely because a participant is involved with TropiCon.

3. Prohibited Conduct

Prohibited conduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • Threats of violence or other credible threats to a person’s safety

  • Physical assault, inappropriate physical contact, or deliberate intimidation

  • Stalking, persistent following, doxing, or publishing private identifying information without authorization

  • Unwelcome sexual attention, sexual advances, or sexualized conduct directed at another person

  • Targeted harassment based on a person’s actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, medical condition, marital or familial status, military or veteran status, political affiliation or viewpoint, or any other status protected by applicable law

  • Deliberate interference with disability accommodations or accessibility

  • Harassing photography, recording, or distribution of another person’s image in circumstances where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy

  • Repeated unwanted communication after a clear request to stop, when continued contact is not reasonably necessary for an event, contract, payment, safety, or legal matter

  • Sustained disruption of panels, classes, signings, presentations, or other official activities

  • Targeted abusive conduct or repeated personal attacks intended to intimidate, threaten, or drive someone from an event-related space

  • Retaliation against someone for making a good-faith report, requesting an accommodation, participating in a review, or raising a concern

  • Encouraging or directing another person to engage in prohibited conduct

A single serious incident may violate this policy. Other conduct may become harassment through repetition, severity, context, or its cumulative effect.

4. Conduct That Is Not Automatically Harassment

The following are not, by themselves, violations of this policy:

  • Respectful disagreement

  • Criticism of TropiCon, Fast Layne LLC, an organizer, participant, policy, product, or business decision

  • A negative review or statement of personal opinion

  • A request to withdraw, cancel, transfer, or receive a refund

  • A good-faith report of suspected misconduct

  • A factual correction

  • Declining further voluntary interaction

  • Discussing a public controversy without targeting or threatening another person

  • Expressing a political, religious, ethical, or personal viewpoint without engaging in targeted harassment or disrupting an event

Criticism does not lose protection under this policy merely because it is unfavorable, uncomfortable, or strongly worded. However, criticism may violate the policy if it includes threats, doxing, discriminatory harassment, targeted abuse, repeated unwanted contact, knowingly false factual claims, or other prohibited conduct.

Fast Layne LLC does not use this policy to determine whether a statement constitutes legal defamation. Questions concerning potentially defamatory statements may be addressed separately under applicable law.

5. Reporting a Concern

Conduct concerns may be reported to:

Fast Layne LLC
Email: fastlaynellc@gmail.com

Reports should include, when available:

  • The name of the person whose conduct is being reported

  • A description of what occurred

  • The date, time, and location or online space involved

  • Names of possible witnesses

  • Relevant screenshots, photographs, messages, or other records

  • Any immediate safety or accessibility concerns

Reports may be submitted anonymously. Anonymous reports will be considered, but anonymity may limit Fast Layne LLC’s ability to verify the information, ask follow-up questions, or take corrective action.

Anyone facing an immediate threat should contact 911, venue security, or local law enforcement. Reporting to TropiCon is not a substitute for emergency assistance.

6. How Reports Are Addressed

Fast Layne LLC will assess reports reasonably, promptly, and in good faith based on the information available. Depending on the circumstances, the response may include:

  • Requesting additional information

  • Preserving relevant records

  • Speaking separately with the reporting person, the person accused, and available witnesses

  • Reviewing messages, screenshots, recordings, or other evidence

  • Consulting venue personnel, security, legal counsel, or law enforcement

  • Implementing temporary measures while a concern is reviewed

  • Determining that the available information does not establish a policy violation

When reasonably appropriate, the person accused will be informed of the concern and allowed an opportunity to respond. This opportunity may be delayed or limited when necessary to address an immediate safety risk, preserve evidence, comply with law, or protect the integrity of the review.

Fast Layne LLC cannot guarantee that every report can be conclusively resolved.

7. Confidentiality and Privacy

Reports will be handled as discreetly as reasonably possible. Absolute confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.

Information may be shared when reasonably necessary to:

  • Assess or respond to the report

  • Protect the safety of participants

  • Provide a fair opportunity to respond

  • Coordinate with venue personnel or security

  • Obtain legal advice

  • Comply with a legal obligation

  • Contact emergency services or law enforcement

Participants must not retaliate against or attempt to intimidate anyone involved in a good-faith report or review.

8. Possible Responses and Consequences

If Fast Layne LLC reasonably determines that this policy has been violated, it may take action proportionate to the conduct and circumstances. Actions may include:

  • A verbal or written reminder

  • A warning or direction to stop specific conduct

  • Removal of a comment, post, image, or other content from an official online space

  • Restrictions on access to official groups, activities, or communications

  • Changes to seating, scheduling, staffing, or event access

  • Removal of prohibited material from display

  • Removal from an activity or event

  • Referral to venue security or law enforcement

  • Exclusion from future Fast Layne LLC events

Immediate action may be taken when Fast Layne LLC reasonably believes it is necessary to protect safety, prevent material disruption, preserve evidence, or comply with venue requirements or law.

Any financial consequences of removal, withdrawal, or exclusion will be determined by the participant’s applicable signed agreement and applicable law. This policy does not independently create a right to a refund.

9. Future Participation and Protection of the Event

Subject to existing contractual obligations and applicable law, Fast Layne LLC reserves the right to decline future applications, refuse future service, or discontinue a future business relationship when documented conduct reasonably demonstrates a material safety, legal, operational, or reputational risk to TropiCon, Fast Layne LLC, its staff, or its participants.

Conduct considered under this section may include:

  • Knowingly making or circulating materially false statements of fact about the event, company, staff, or participants

  • Fabricating, altering, or knowingly misrepresenting evidence

  • Impersonating TropiCon, Fast Layne LLC, its organizers, or another participant

  • Threatening, doxing, stalking, or engaging in targeted harassment

  • Encouraging or coordinating conduct intended to materially disrupt an event or interfere with its contracts, venue relationships, ticketing, vendors, or operations

  • Repeatedly violating event policies or reasonable conduct directives

  • Using a complaint or reporting process maliciously to harass, intimidate, or retaliate against another person

This provision does not prohibit or penalize:

  • Honest opinions or reviews, including negative reviews

  • Good-faith criticism of an event, policy, organizer, or business decision

  • Good-faith complaints, refund requests, payment disputes, or reports of suspected misconduct

  • Truthful statements about a person’s experience

  • Communications with an attorney, law enforcement agency, regulatory authority, payment provider, or court

  • Participation in a lawful investigation or legal proceeding

Disagreement, criticism, or reputational discomfort alone will not establish a violation. Fast Layne LLC will distinguish statements of opinion from purported statements of fact and will consider available context and documentation before acting when circumstances permit.

Nothing in this policy constitutes a determination that any statement is legally defamatory or limits any right or remedy available under applicable law.

10. Good-Faith Reports and Intentionally False Reports

A person will not be penalized merely because a good-faith report cannot be substantiated.

Knowingly submitting materially false information, fabricating evidence, impersonating another person, or using the reporting process maliciously to harass or retaliate against someone may itself violate this policy.

A disputed interpretation, mistaken recollection, or unproven allegation is not automatically a knowingly false report.

11. Accessibility and Accommodations

Anyone who needs a reasonable accommodation to report a concern, participate in a review, or access an event should contact Fast Layne LLC. Accommodation requests will be considered individually and in accordance with applicable law.

12. Relationship to Other Terms

This policy should be read together with the applicable participant agreement, ticket terms, venue rules, exhibitor requirements, and other published event policies.

If a signed agreement and this policy address the same issue differently, the signed agreement will control to the extent required by applicable law. Nothing in this policy limits rights or obligations that cannot legally be waived.

13. Policy Administration and Updates

Fast Layne LLC may clarify or update this policy as its events and legal obligations evolve. The version applicable to a particular participant or event will be determined by the effective date, the applicable signed agreement, any valid written acknowledgment, and applicable law.

Questions about this policy may be directed to fastlaynellc@gmail.com.

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