No one can be “banned” or expelled from AA: but if anyone’s conduct causes serious problems for the Late Show, or threatens the safety of other members, the group conscience may decide to ask that person to attend meetings elsewhere for some period of time.

Keeping in Mind the Twelve Traditions 

“The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.” -Tradition 3

In respect for the 3rd tradition, we should always adhere to AA’s code of love and tolerance. Thus, behaviors such as being under the influence, falling asleep/passing out during a meeting, incoherent sharing etc. are not-in themselves-disruptions serious enough to ask someone to leave. If such behavior becomes a regular pattern which interferes with the common welfare of the Late Show, the matter should be brought to the attention of the safety committee chair and/or included in the business meeting agenda. 

Other acts such as threats of violence, sexual harassment, hate speech, personal attacks, or disruptions causing the meeting to become a hostile environment are causes for immediate ejection from the meeting at the secretary’s discretion. Members are welcome to attend the next scheduled meeting but if the behavior in question is ongoing the Safety Committee may determine if additional actions need to be taken as outlined by our group conscience.

About Harassment 

The Late Show Online does not tolerate harassment of any kind. The Late show defines harassment as ongoing behavior that creates an unpleasant or hostile situation by uninvited verbal or physical conduct. 

Please remember, we all have different personal boundaries and these boundaries should be respected. Harassment can come in many different forms and any action that creates an unpleasant or hostile situation especially by uninvited and unwelcome verbal or physical conduct can be considered harassment. 

Actions like viewing or showing pornographic material, lewd behavior, or making sexual advances are forms of harassment and offensive to individuals. From our experience, harassment can drive members away from the meeting, disrupt group unity, and threaten personal recovery. 

While the First Tradition cannot possibly replace the responsibility each of us has to keep ourselves safe, it does empower the group to create consequences for harassment when it occurs. Individuals who target group members with harassment may be asked to leave and or stay away from the Late Show meetings by group conscience.

Guidelines of Consequences & The Group Conscience 

“For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority — a loving God as he may express himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants, they do not govern.” –Tradition 2

1. Ejection from the meeting (for disruption) does not mean suspension from The Late Show. However, Ejections involving ongoing harassment or disruptions should extend until the next Business or Safety meeting.
2. Any member should feel free to bring problems to the attention of Meeting Secretaries, the Safety Committee, or the facilitator of the Business Meeting.
3. Should said member not feel comfortable approaching the secretary or the facilitator of the business meeting, that member should talk to another AA member who feels comfortable doing so.
4. Secretaries and other officers of the meeting should alert the Safety Committee of reported matters of harassment or disruption so discussion of suspension be added to the agenda.
5. Matters involving harassment or ongoing disruptions ought to be discussed at the next available meeting of the safety committee at the discretion of the facilitator of the committee meeting.
6. If the problem is serious enough, the facilitator of the Safety Committee Meeting should arrange to inform the problematic person about conduct problems and that they may attend the next Safety Committee Meeting so that they can be heard.
7. The facilitator of the business meeting and the meeting secretaries should be informed of any ejections and reported incidents. The Business Meeting may be consulted on deciding whether suspension may be required if the Safety Committee is unable to determine an appropriate action.

If the group conscience at the Safety Committee or Business Meeting agrees to suspend anyone it should be done after substantial unanimity has been reached (2/3 majority) and after hearing minority opinion. The meeting should then also agree on a term for the suspension.

The recommended guideline is 6 months for threats of violence, hate speech, and sexual harassment. We recommend a minimum of 3 months for other activities such as ongoing personal attacks, harassment, and/or persistent disruption. These numbers should be treated as firm guidelines for first offenses while second offenses may be extended as the group conscience sees fit.

If anyone is suspended, the facilitator of the business meeting should arrange to inform the individual, and all meeting Secretaries, of the suspension from The Late Show and its length.

Suspended persons should stay away from The Late Show Online meeting for the duration of the meeting including before and after the meeting. If the group conscience votes to remove a member and the offending member returns to the meeting during their suspension, it is reasonable to extend the suspension indefinitely. Additionally, this suspension includes the duration of the business meeting and cannot be appealed.

Following reinstatement, if the reinstated person repeats the same behavior, the facilitator of the business meeting shall restart the suspension until it is discussed at the next business meeting.

How does the Safety Committee operate?

The safety committee meets on an as-needed basis when reports of harassment or disruption are raised by members of the group. The Safety Chair is an elected member of the group that facilitates safety issues that arise in the group as a neutral party. The safety chair only facilitates the meeting, they do not vote or share opinions on the topics raised.

The Safety Chair is a trusted servant with a sobriety requirement of at least 2 years with a working knowledge of the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions. The term is 2 years and coincides with the elections of our GSR/Business meeting chairs.

The safety chair gathers a group of elected trusted servants of the group to discuss and determine if acts of harassment or disruption qualify for terms of suspension from the meeting based on the group conscience in this document.

Members of a safety committee meeting (including the chair) should not be involved in the complaint, recusing themselves if they are unable to make an unbiased decision. Members who are involved in the complaint will not participate in the decision of the group to take action.

The Safety Committee Chair will facilitate the meeting in regards to the complaint at their discretion. The following is an example of the safety committee meeting process:

Facilitator reviews the guidelines of this document and states that all discussions, evidence, and statements made in the safety committee should remain confidential and anonymous.

The facilitator describes the complaint to the group and those involved.

The member(s) making the complaint should be allowed into the room to state their issues or a letter/representative of the complainant should be read to the safety committee if they are unavailable. The committee should ask any clarifying questions at this time and gather any other screenshots or accounts of the incident(s).

The complainant should then exit the meeting room.

The committee should then ask the person being accused to enter the room to state their side of the complaint or a letter/representative in their place if they are unavailable. Clarifying questions and similar screenshots or accounts of the complaint should be heard and gathered.

The person accused should then exit the meeting room.

The committee should then discuss the complaint, review evidence, and decide if the complaint qualifies for suspension based on the guidelines of this document. If it’s the first complaint against the person the committee’s only job is to determine if harassment or other offenses have taken place as the guidelines on suspension are outlined in this document. If the person has had a previous suspension the committee should also determine if the suspension should be extended past the minimum required in the guidelines.

The committee votes yes/no on if the harassment or offense took place and requires a 2 / 3 majority vote to confirm. If the committee can not reach a 2 / 3 majority the matter will be addressed as a business meeting topic for a simple majority vote of the entire group at the next business meeting.

The safety committee chair or another trusted servant will inform the complainant and the accused of the decision made by the group per the guidelines of our group conscience.

Safety Card from the Alcoholics Anonymous General Service Office