JALT Board of Directors response to an allegation of racial insensitivity at an online JALT event

JALT strives to ensure that all members of its organization can participate in its activities regardless of their racial, ethnic, gender, religious background or disability in accordance with the guidelines of the Code of Conduct Committee (CoC) and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Committee (DEI). We encourage all JALT members to engage in honest discussion and forthright exchanges of ideas as they attend events that cater to their interests. However, it is vital that all attendees at JALT events show respect to each other and to presenters, especially when we might disagree with each other.
The JALT BoD would like to reiterate that it does not tolerate derogatory comments relating to a person’s race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, differences, or beliefs at any JALT event. The BoD would also like to thank those who reported this incident and encourage others to come forward with similar concerns should they ever occur. All reports will be treated with the utmost confidentiality. Reports can be made to either the Code of Conduct Committee or the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Committee at conduct@jalt.org and dei@jalt.org following the procedure explained on the CoC webpage.