Special Committee on Sexual Assault and Harassment in the San Francisco Political Community
The San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (SFDCCC), also known as the San Francisco Democratic Party, has adopted a first-of-its-kind accountability framework to for sexual harassment and assault in the political environment. The process is outlined in the ‘Code of Conduct and Policies for Sexual Assault and Harassment for the San Francisco Democratic Party’ (Code of Conduct and Policies) approved by the San Francisco Democratic Party on December 4, 2024.
The San Francisco Democratic Party aims to change the culture that has allowed harassment and assault to persist in the politics. These policies are a reflection of the Party’s commitment to fostering an inclusive culture with respect and safety for all who participate in our political community.
Apply for Positions
We encourage candidates to apply for open positions to help us execute these policies. These roles are an important way to be involved in this ambitious new policy framework. The positions we are seeking are:
1) Ombudsperson
2) Judicial Commissioners (6 positions)
Details on the positions and responsibilities can be found here.
Deadline to submit an application is January 8, 2025.
Info on Policy
Summary Report
The Summary Report from the Special Committee can be found here, which details the process and participants of the policy creation.
Code of Conduct
DCCC Special Meeting
The 12/4/24 SF DCCC Special Meeting to approve this policy can be viewed here.
Press Coverage on the Special Committee
Press Release, Press Release announcing this policy
KQED, After Multiple Scandals, SF Democratic Party to Vote on 1st-Ever Sexual Harassment Policy December 4, 2024
KQED, SF Democrats Adopt New Sexual Assault Reporting Policies. Now Comes the Real Work December 5, 2024
SF Examiner, SF Dems pass new assault, harassment policies December 5, 2024
SF Chronicle, S.F. Democratic party adopts new guidelines for handling sexual assault and harassment accusations December 5, 2024
The Voice of San Francisco, San Francisco Democrats’ new abuse guidelines face a test December 12, 2024
***PRESS RELEASE***
SAN FRANCISCO DEMOCRATIC PARTY UNANIMOUSLY PASSES GROUNDBREAKING POLICY TO COMBAT SEXUAL ASSAULT AND HARASSMENT
San Francisco to lead the nation with thorough accountability structure in political spaces
SAN FRANCISCO, December 5, 2024 — On Wednesday, December 4, the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (SFDCCC) voted unanimously to pass a groundbreaking Code of Conduct and Policies for Sexual Assault and Harassment for the San Francisco Democratic Party to lead the nation in tackling sexual harassment and assault with comprehensive accountability policies.
Political spaces have long been rife with sexual assault and harassment due to inherent power dynamics, the temporary nature of political campaigns, reliance on volunteerism, and the nature of power and influence as the predominant currency in the industry. This new policy is an ambitious framework which includes a robust process for reporting, investigation, and repercussions in order to change the culture that has allowed harassment and assault to persist in the political industry.
Soon after the new SFDCCC majority was sworn in, Chair Nancy Tung created the Special Committee in April of this year. Chaired by Lily Ho, the Special Committee built a coalition of stakeholders, democratic clubs, advocacy organizations, experts, and survivors to collaboratively develop the policies in a transparent process. The resulting policies consist of mechanisms for confidentiality, guardrails for independence to prevent political meddling, a structure to give club leadership agency to lead in creating their own solutions, and includes restorative facilitation for education and healing.
Democratic clubs chartered by the DCCC will be required to adopt the code of conduct and policies or risk consequences, including de-chartering. It is expected that all democratic clubs will have fully adopted the policies by May 2025.
This policy comes on the heels of Donald Trump’s second ascension to the White House despite being a convicted felon and accused sex offender. San Francisco proudly led the resistance against President Trump in his first term and is now poised to do the same.
The Summary Report from the Special Committee can be found here which details the process and participants of the policy creation.
The Code of Conduct and Policies for Sexual Assault and Harassment for the San Francisco Democratic Party can be found here which is the final product approved at the December 4, 2024 SFDCCC meeting.
“Yesterday’s anti-sexual violence policy adoption vote is an important first step in changing the culture in our political spaces and is the culmination of years of advocacy,” said Alondra Esquivel Garcia, President of the San Francisco Women’s Political Committee (SFWPC). “Since 2021, SFWPC has uplifted the voices of survivors, held abusers and their public allies accountable for their behavior, and worked with various iterations of leadership within the San Francisco Democratic Party to put a concrete plan in place. We sincerely thank this iteration of the San Francisco Democratic Party for stepping up, and we hope yesterday’s vote makes it clear that we will not tolerate violence in our communities,” said Garcia.
“I deeply appreciate SFWPC and the DCCC members who took my feedback seriously and worked to incorporate language that gives survivors options and agency throughout the reporting and investigation process. These changes reflect a commitment to building an environment where survivors can come forward without fear of retaliation or losing control of their narrative,” said Zahra Hajee, a former San Francisco Board of Supervisors legislative aide and survivor of assault in the political space.
“Sexual violence and harassment in politics persists when it remains in the shadows. By shining a light on this pervasive issue, we, as Democrats, can build a safer, more equitable future for all San Franciscans. I am proud of the collaborative progress we’ve made as a subcommittee, which has been driven by a diverse range of experiences, perspectives, and expertise. Moving forward, I am committed to ensuring the Party remains accountable in building a more just future for everyone,” said Ruth Ferguson, co-founder of Stop Harassment in Politics.
“The unanimous vote speaks to the strong coalition of collaborators we created with stakeholders from democratic clubs, survivors, experts, and advocacy groups. Next, we will focus on ensuring the integrity of implementation to see these policies to fruition,” said Lily Ho, Chair of the Special Committee on Sexual Assault and Harassment in the San Francisco Political Community.
"I am proud that the San Francisco Democratic Party is taking on the issue of sexual assault and harassment. With the adoption of this Code of Conduct, we can begin the hard but necessary work of protecting survivors, holding abusers accountable, and creating safe political spaces for everyone,” said Nancy Tung, Chair of the Democratic Party.
About the Special Committee on Sexual Assault and Harassment in the San Francisco Political Community
The Special Committee on Sexual Assault and Harassment in the San Francisco Political Community was created in April 2024 by DCCC Chair Nancy Tung to understand the issue of sexual assault and harassment in the San Francisco political community and to suggest changes to our policies to address the issue. The Special Committee is chaired by Member Lily Ho, and includes Vice Chair Carrie Barnes, Member Trevor Chandler, Vice Chair Emma Heiken Hare, Member Bilal Mahmood, and Member Michael Nguyen. https://www.sfdemocrats.org/chair
About the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee
The San Francisco Democratic Party is the official organization for Democrats in the City and County of San Francisco. Also known as the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (SF DCCC), we represent one of the most active communities of Democrats in California, with more than 320,000 members. https://www.sfdemocrats.org/
About San Francisco Women’s Political Committee (SFWPC)
SFWPC’s mission is to endorse, empower, and elect people as candidates for local office who self-identify as women and those who share our values. SFWPC champions policies and candidates committed to advancing intersectional feminism, racial justice, gender equity, and equitable systems and structures through participation in the San Francisco political process. We provide an advocacy and political network to build a bench of diverse women+ candidates, activists, organisers, and leaders who will advance these goals at every level of governance and beyond. https://sfwpc.org/
About Stop Harassment in Politics (SHIP)
Stop Sexual Harassment in Politics (SHIP) is a coalition of survivors and political staffers committed to ending sexual harassment and discrimination in California politics.
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