Staff Code of Conduct

### Staff Members

Staff members - that is to say, admins, moderators and professors - are held to higher standards of behaviour than other Model Hogwarts users. This does not necessarily mean they will be punished more harshly. Rather, it is a reflection that due to their position of authority and the way they are looked up to by other users, they are in a position of great influence on the server, and “with great power comes great responsibility.” The onus is on staff to ensure they are using their influence for good, and avoid actions that may harm the server or lead to an overall worse experience for others.

Breaches of staff behavioural standards, just like those of regular players, are handled by the moderators. There are channels on a Discord server separate to Model Hogwarts for mod discussions to be held confidentially without the relevant staff member(s) present. These channels are generally only used if an anonymous complaint is brought forth, a serious deliberate breach is suspected, or another staff member has a concern they feel uncomfortable or uncertain about bringing up. Otherwise, staff indiscretions are generally addressed openly and directly with the person in a relevant staff channel. This is done to facilitate honest two-way conversations and to ensure staff teams can function without unresolved issues or people walking on eggshells. Staff breaches or behavioural issues that are addressed in this way are marked as 'flagged' and logged for future reference, serving a similar purpose to pokes under the general moderation system.

Serious misconduct is dealt with according to a three strike system. A staff conduct breach of sufficient severity, or a behavioural pattern that continues after previously being flagged, will incur a strike, and on the third strike the staff member will be permanently removed from their position. They may also be barred from other OOC teams, such as apps or plotrunners. Strikes may be skipped if the breach is deliberate and/or severe enough. Similarly to other moderator actions, actions taken against staff are kept confidential. If behaviour that led or contributed to being removed from staff continues afterwards - for example, if a user who has been removed for leaking sensitive information continues to do so after their removal - then the existing pattern of behaviour will be factored into the moderators' discussion. Depending on the offence, this may lead to a harsher punishment, up to and including a permanent ban from the server.

A non-exhaustive list of staff offences that may lead to actions taken under this code of conduct is as follows:

1. **Breaching server rules.** Staff members are expected to know and follow the rules of Model Hogwarts, in doing so setting a positive example for others. Any breach of rules will be discussed with the staff member in question, and a formal warning will at minimum be grounds for a strike, and may lead to consideration of the staff member’s position. A final warning will lead to a removal from staff teams, and no user with an existing final warning will be considered for a staff role.

2. **Abuse of power.** Staff members should not use their power to unduly benefit themselves, or grant other users an advantage/disadvantage. This includes misusing  staff-only Discord permissions, taking advantage of knowledge they have due to being on staff, and trying to influence staff discussions and decisions according to their own vested interest.

3. **Leaking sensitive information.** This includes actions such as breaching mod confidentiality, and revealing information about discussions or upcoming changes so as to benefit a user or influence team decisions.

4. **Acting without team consensus.** Barring emergency situations that are set out in team guidelines, all admin and mod decisions require a specified time of discussion and/or majority agreement. ‘Lone wolf’ action without reasonable justification is never appropriate, even with good intentions and even if no harm is done. Other users are asked to keep this in mind as well; one or two admins/mods saying something is okay doesn’t necessarily mean staff permission was given.

5. **Conduct unbecoming of a staff member.** This refers to incidents that do not specifically break rules or misuse staff powers, but harm users’ experiences or team functionality. An example of this is tone in public conversations; while everyone is allowed their opinion, staff members need to be mindful that appearing upset or aggressive can make regular users anxious due to the power they hold, and so moderate their tone - communicating privately with other staff members is advised if you’re unsure. Other examples include blocking or inhibiting team discussions, an undue lack of regard for model systems or team processes, and excessive venting or negativity about other users.

All admins, mods and professors agree implicitly to this code of conduct when making their application. If anyone believes a staff member may be in breach of the code, they may report the breach using any of the same means for reporting rule-breaking listed in `#rules-and-guidelines`. Any requests for confidentiality will be honoured.

### Conduct on Other Teams

Non-staff teams, such as apps, plotrunners and sorters, are not generally held to the same rigorous behavioural standards as admins, moderators and professors. However, their conduct as team members is still expected to be above reproach, and breaches may lead to the person being warned, removed from their position and/or barred from staff or team roles in the future. This is particularly true of the apps team, which, although an "invisible" role to the majority of the server, has an extreme amount of influence on its workings. Depending on the team and the exact offence, any of the list of staff offences given above may also be grounds for taking action against a team member.

Conduct in past or existing team roles, as well as on the server in general, is a major consideration for the admin team when deciding on someone’s application for a staff role, as well as non-staff teams to varying extents. People with a history of rule-breaking or misconduct will be unlikely to have their application accepted. On the other hand, if you have a reputation for being fair, level-headed and considerate of others, and have been reliable and diligent with any prior roles and responsibilities, this will count in your favour.