Posted in: Comics | Tagged: cbldf, ethics, Jeff Trexler

The CBLDF Creates Its Own Ethics Committee

Tomorrow, the free speech activist charity, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), will be hosting a Zoom workshop, titled Ethics for All: Building Policy Together. Schedules for the 25th of March at 5-6 pm PT, 8-9 pm ET and from midnight to 1 am GMT.

The CBDLF states "The meeting will be a Zoom workshop in which we'll discuss the principles shaping the development of CBLDF's updated ethics policies and invite you to share your ideas on how these policies can best serve the comics community as a whole. We are examining all the pillars of our ethics policy, including governance, anti-harassment, inclusiveness and diversity, convention conduct, program evaluation, operational transparency, whistleblower protections, and community oversight, including the creation of an ethics committee.

The guest speakers for the meeting will be Tea Fouger, Jenn Haines and Kristina Rogers as well as CBLDF Interim Director Jeff Trexler who will moderate the discussion, including time for live Q&A and discussion. You can register for the meeting right here.

Tea Fougner is Editorial Director for Comics at King Features Syndicate, the home of Popeye, Krazy Kat, and other classic comics. She is also co-coordinator of the cosplay program for Flame Con, the world's largest LGBTQ+ comic convention, and consults on inclusive language for spaces and events.  Jenn Haines is owner of The Dragon, an award-winning comics and games store headquartered in Guelph, Ontario. She is also ComicsPRO President and a member of the Ontario College of Teachers. Kristina Rogers is Event Director at ReedPOP, behind such shows as the New York Comic Con, C2E2 and ECCC.

Last year was a year of change and challenge for the free speech activist charity, regarding allegations of sexual harassment made against its director Charles Brownstein over years. Bleeding Cool was first to report his departure, before his official resignation. However, as a result, the CBLDF saw many partner publishers and organisations pull away from the body, as revelations regarding NDAs that the organisation had made people sign were lifted, board members retired and resigned, as accounts were given and shared.

Interim Director, Jeff Trexler was appointed Interim Director of the CBLDF as one who had implemented ethics policies at other companies and industries, such as fashion, which has been undergoing its own self-examination in recent years over similar issues. He has stated that he has been involved in helping people bring sexual harassment complaints against employers for twenty years and has helped argue policy reform within both companies and in government. The Q&A might get quite lively.

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