The American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE) is committed to providing a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for all individuals who participate in its meeting, regardless of age, gender, sex or sexual orientation, physical ability, ethnicity, cultural background, socioeconomic status, religion or any other status protected by law. AACE Annual Meeting allows for the collegial exchange of ideas and discussion of issues related to the AACE community. Inappropriate behavior of any kind is not tolerated. All who register to participate in the meeting agree to comply with this Policy. 

While not intended to be an exhaustive list of inappropriate behavior, participants at AACE events are expected at a minimum to:

• Uphold the professional and educational purposes of meetings by respecting the rights, privacy, safety, and dignity of all persons. 

• Exercise professionalism, consideration, and respect in their speech and actions. 

• Refrain from harassing speech and other harassing behavior. 

• Refrain from bullying or other disruptive or hurtful speech or conduct. 

For purposes of this policy, “harassment” refers to unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin or ethnicity, age, disability, genetic information, veteran or military service or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law.  Harassment becomes unlawful where the conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create an environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive.  

While generally not prohibited by law, AACE nevertheless prohibits bullying behavior displayed in person or virtually. AACE defines bullying as repeated inappropriate behavior, either direct or indirect, whether verbal, physical, cyber or otherwise, conducted by one or more persons against another that is hurtful, harmful, humiliating or exhibits coercion or abuse of power, as well as any other unreasonably disruptive behavior such as sustained disruption of talks, events or meetings.

AACE reserves the right to have security personnel or law enforcement authorities remove any attendee engaged in unsafe, disruptive or harassing behavior from any events at any time with or without prior notice and without any refund of registration or travel fees. 

Unacceptable meeting behaviors may include, but are not limited to:

• Unwelcome and uninvited attention or contact with another participant; 

• Verbal or written comments, or visual images, that are sexually suggestive, offensive, or that denigrate or show hostility or aversion toward an individual, or group of individuals, that create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment, or that unreasonably interfere with an individual’s ability to participate in an AACE meeting; 

• Slurs, threatening or negative stereotyping, intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory or demeaning speech or actions by any participant in any AACE meeting, at all related events, and in one-on-one communications carried out in the context of any Meeting or meeting-associated event; 

• Verbal harassment or harmful or prejudicial verbal or written comments or visual images related to gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual activities, race, religion, disability, age, appearance, or other personal characteristics; 

• Deliberate intimidation, following or stalking; 

• Unnecessary and/or unwelcomed touching or brushing against another person's body, patting, groping, pinching, or other forms of physical assault including impeding or blocking movements; 

• Sexual or romantic flirtations that are viewed by the recipient as offensive and unwelcome; 

• Unwelcomed telephone calls, e-mails, letters, home visits, social media contact or other unwanted encounters in person or virtually with sexual overtones; 

• Demands for sexual favors with implied threats related to job benefits or opportunities; 

• Conduct by registered attendee(s) or guests at any AACE meeting that is unlawful, in violation of the show rules or the convention center lease terms or convention hotel(s) policies/rules, in violation of/or is antithetical to the purposes and good order of the AACE event and its operation by AACE, such as, the use of an invalid or another’s name badge, failure to pay meeting registration. 

Abiding by these guidelines helps ensure that all individuals have a positive experience. All forms of bullying, discrimination, and harassment are prohibited as is the promoting or encouraging of such behavior. It is a violation of this policy to retaliate against an individual for reporting bullying, discrimination or harassment or to intentionally file a false report of bullying, discrimination, or harassment. 

This code of conduct applies to every individual at the meeting, whether attendee, speaker, facilitator, guest, AACE staff, contractor or other. It applies to all AACE Annual Meetings and related events, including those sponsored by organizations other than AACE that are held in conjunction with an AACE meeting, and on public or private event platforms. 

If, at any time, you feel that this code of conduct has been violated, please inform the meeting organizer at [email protected] or notify an AACE senior staff member or officer onsite (see below).

The following procedure outlines the steps that will be taken by AACE in the event of reported inappropriate behavior at any AACE event. However, when the facts of a case warrant quick and severe action, this procedure may be modified, and law enforcement may be called where appropriate.

• Persons are required to provide a firsthand account of the alleged harassment to the AACE President or CEO. The President, CEO or any other appropriate AACE representative selected by them will investigate the facts and make a recommendation for resolution.

  • Victims and any witnesses will be contacted and asked to provide a detailed written account of what was observed. 

  • The accused person also will be requested to provide a written explanation of the alleged charges.

• Unless required by law, the participants involved in the investigation process must keep all information regarding the allegations confidential.