Code of Conduct

The Code of Conduct Committee deals with violations of the Circle City Curling Club Code of Conduct.

Committee Members — 2026–27 Season

• Chair: Katie Schoenberg — This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Committee Member: Kate DeCarlo
• Committee Member: TBD

You can contact the committee members collectively at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

If you believe someone is violating the Code of Conduct, we ask that you report it by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Reports should be submitted within two weeks of the observation. All reports will be kept confidential. Only members of the Code of Conduct Committee will receive the reports.

If the Committee needs to share information with the Circle City Curling Club Board, the reporter’s identity will not be divulged before the reporter has agreed to do so.

The above policy is superseded by USA Curling’s SafeSport policies and procedures, which Circle City Curling Club has adopted a version of, for incidents involving individuals under the age of 18.

The Code of Conduct Committee has a duty to report these SafeSport violations involving minors to the Board, who in turn have a duty to report to USA Curling and to local law enforcement if warranted.

More information can be found in the USA Curling SafeSport Handbook and the Circle City Curling Club Minor Abuse Prevention Policy.

If the act is ongoing, the Code of Conduct Committee will take immediate measures to stop it if possible, and to gather the information described below.

A Code of Conduct Violation Report Should Include:

1. Your contact info so we can get in touch with you if we need to follow up.
2. Description of the violation, including what elements specifically in the Code of Conduct were violated.
3. Names of any individuals involved. If there were other witnesses besides you, please try to include them as well.
4. When and where the incident occurred. Please be as specific as possible, including if the violations are reoccurring.
5. Your account of what occurred. If there is a publicly available record, such as an SMS message or email, please include that. Screenshots can be useful in case something is edited or deleted before action is taken.
6. Any extra context you believe existed for the incident.
7. If you believe this incident is ongoing.
8. Any other information you believe we should have.

Reports will receive urgent and immediate attention from the Code of Conduct Committee. The Committee will respond to the submitter with acknowledgement of receipt within 48 hours.

If the incident reported involves an individual under the age of 18 and may be a violation of the policies set forth in the USA Curling SafeSport Handbook and/or the Circle City Curling Club Minor Abuse Prevention Policy, the matter will be referred immediately to the Board, who have a duty to report the matter to USA Curling.

Matters that rise to a level of criminal acts will be referred to law enforcement as appropriate.

If a report doesn’t contain enough information, the Committee will strive to obtain all relevant data before acting. The Committee is empowered to contact any individuals involved to get a more complete account of events.

The Committee will then review the incident and determine, to the best of their ability:

• The factual details of what happened.
• Whether this event constitutes a Code of Conduct violation.
• Who, if anyone, was involved in the violation.
• Whether this is an ongoing situation.
• Whether the incident qualifies as a repeat offense.

This information will be collected in writing, and whenever possible the Committee’s deliberations will be recorded and retained. Code of Conduct communications will be kept in full within the Committee’s email files.

The Committee should aim to have a resolution agreed very rapidly; if not agreed within a week, it will inform the parties of the planned date.

The Committee must agree on a resolution by consensus. If the Committee cannot reach consensus, the Committee will turn the matter over to the Board for resolution.

Responses will be determined by the Committee on the basis of the information gathered and of the potential consequences.

Actions that the Committee may take without consulting the Board of Directors are:

• Taking no further action.
• Issuing a reprimand privately via email.
• Asking for a private apology.

The Committee may determine that a situation merits a more serious response than a reprimand or apology.

For example, the Committee may recommend that the Board temporarily suspend or permanently revoke an individual’s membership in Circle City Curling Club.

In these situations, the case and Committee recommendations will be escalated for review and further pursuit by the Board in accordance with the Circle City Curling Club bylaws.

The Committee will never publicly discuss issues referred to them; all public statements, if needed, will be made by the Circle City Curling Club Board.

Situations that may require public statements may include announcements, written or verbal, to club members to reinforce elements of the Code of Conduct. Wherever possible and when appropriate, these public announcements will be made without reference to specific incidents or Code of Conduct violation reports.

The Committee is responsible for providing a summary by email of the review and outcome to both the submitter and the person identified in the submission, separately and while maintaining anonymity.

Repeat Offenses

If an individual is found to have three infractions within 12 months, where a submission has been made to the Code of Conduct Committee and the Committee has determined that a violation has occurred, this is considered repeat offenses and the Code of Conduct Committee will result in notification to the Board.

This may involve recommendation to the Board of a suspension of the individual found to be a repeat offender.

Once an infraction occurred 12 months prior, it is removed from consideration for the individual. The Committee will keep records of infractions.

Only offenses occurring after August 1, 2025 will count against an infraction amount since this was an amendment to the original Code.

Appeal Process

Only for situations requiring notification to the Board may the person being reported appeal the process.

The appeal process involves the individual submitting an email to the Committee with additional details for why they are not in agreement with the Committee’s findings.

The appeal should focus on the actual violations detailed in the Committee’s notification email.

Conflicts of Interest

In the event of any conflict of interest—such as Committee or Board members who are personally connected to a situation—the conflicted member must immediately notify the other Committee members and recuse themselves. The remaining members of the Code of Conduct Committee may temporarily appoint a Code of Conduct Committee member in order to investigate and resolve incidents where conflicts of interest require members to excuse themselves.

This FAQ attempts to address common questions and concerns around the Circle City Curling Club Code of Conduct. If you still have questions after reading it, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Why have you adopted a Code of Conduct?

We think our curling community is awesome. We know that the Circle City Curling Club community is transparent, friendly, and welcoming. We want to make sure everyone else knows it too.

Especially as the Circle City Curling Club community grows, we want to maintain the respectful community we have established and maintain a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Haven’t we had a Code of Conduct before?

Yes. Both informally and formally in a basic Code of Conduct, guidelines for expectations have been outlined for our members.

This updated Code of Conduct adds a Code of Conduct Committee which allows the club to have an established and unbiased framework to enforce reactions and follow-up to Code of Conduct violations.

What does it mean to “adopt” a Code of Conduct?

For the most part, we don’t think it means large changes. We think that the text does a really good job of describing the way members of our club already conduct themselves. We expect that most people will simply continue to behave in the respectful way they have for years.

However, having a formal Code of Conduct ensures that we all have the same expectations of each other, and helps introduce our values to new members.

Members are expected to abide by the spirit and words of the Code of Conduct when in spaces managed by Circle City Curling Club.

In practice, this includes on-ice activities, broomstacking before and after curling, off-ice social events organized by the club, Circle City Curling Club mailing lists, and all other Circle City Curling Club-associated social media platforms.

What happens if someone violates the Code of Conduct?

Our intent is that anyone in the community can and should stand up for this Code and direct others to this document if they are unaware of it.

If that doesn’t work, or if you need more help, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For more details, see the Reporting Guidelines & Procedure section above.

I hang out with my friends at the bar before or after the official curling activities arranged by the Club. Is this Code of Conduct intended to apply to those times?

It is recognized that this may be a gray area. However, especially if the activities are happening within Circle City Curling Club facilities, then the Code of Conduct would apply.

Additionally, you are continuing to serve as a representative of Circle City Curling Club, even when curling time has commenced.

Acknowledgements

Sections of this policy were inspired by the Code of Conduct of the Silicon Valley Curling Club.