Based on several LinkedIn posts that I’ve read, it appears that there were some incidents at last week’s conference that is raising the issue of sexual harassment and misconduct at legal tech conferences once again.

I am not aware of the specifics of the incidents, nor do I care to know. I do lament, however, that this is a problem that continues to exist – not just within conferences, but also within the workplace and even society in general.

A second problem is alcohol abuse, which is also a societal problem, and is particularly evident at conferences like last week’s legal tech conference where networking events and happy hours abound. Both problems exist independently but are often combined with disastrous results – those who harass are often fueled by abuse of alcohol when they do so, especially at conferences.

I don’t have anything particularly eloquent or profound to say about the topic, because – what CAN you say? We all KNOW we should treat our colleagues with respect, and we all KNOW we should promote a safe environment for all of them, yet sexual harassment and misconduct incidents keep happening.

So, how can we stop it? The only way I know to have a chance to stop it is for as many of us as possible to keep the issue in the forefront as much as we can.

Marla Crawford, General Counsel at Cimplifi*, has been raising the issue the past few days and posted on LinkedIn that Cimplifi is committed to implementing a pledge for conference attendees, ensuring accountability and consequences for improper behavior. As a result, Marla and Cimplifi have introduced #SPLASH, service providers leading against sexual harassment, and encouraged other service providers to adopt this or similar pledges. Teal is the ribbon color for sexual assault awareness (good to know) and why they have chosen it for this pledge (as reflected in the graphic above).

I hope all organizations – service provider or not – take a similar pledge. Doing so will hopefully make a big difference at future conferences. Of course, there are various forms of harassment, not just sexual harassment, so the focus on ANY improper behavior is appropriate.

Here’s MY pledge: From now on, every post I make to promote a conference will include a reminder that harassment continues to be a problem at conferences, with a link to resources for more information (not sure what those resources will be, but I’m open to suggestions). Sometimes, I get busy, so if I forget to include that reminder, feel free to REMIND me!

Keeping this issue in the forefront is the only way I know of to have a chance to stop it. I’ll do my best to do my part.

*FYI, Cimplifi is a partner of eDiscovery Today, but I would have promoted the idea even if they weren’t.

Disclaimer: The views represented herein are exclusively the views of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views held by my employer, my partners or my clients. eDiscovery Today is made available solely for educational purposes to provide general information about general eDiscovery principles and not to provide specific legal advice applicable to any particular circumstance. eDiscovery Today should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a lawyer you have retained and who has agreed to represent you.