The Board of Directors of DrupalNYC learned recently that Pantheon Systems, Inc. is being questioned about their decision to provide services to Alliance Defending Freedom. The Southern Poverty Law Center classifies the ADF organization as a hate group. This decision raises two primary areas of conflict, with Pantheon’s publicly stated policies, and with the Values and Principles of the Drupal project.
The Acceptable Use Policy of Pantheon Systems, Inc., contains this prohibition:
(f) Use the Services in any libelous, defamatory, abusive, threatening, harassing, hateful, offensive, or manner that otherwise violates your obligations hereunder, any law, or protected right of any third party;
Hatred is unacceptable behavior. It is not in accord with the Values and Principles of the Drupal project:
Our community is, by default, accepting with one exception: we will not accept intolerance. Every person is welcome, but every behavior is not. Our community promotes behaviors and decisions that support diversity, equity, and inclusion and reduce hatred, oppression, and violence.
We asked the executive leadership of Pantheon Systems directly today to reconcile these two conflicts. How as a featured hosting provider, and a community sponsor recognized at the highest level, do they reconcile their decision with the Values and Principles of the Drupal community? How does their decision accord with their publicly stated policies?
As we await their response, the Board of DrupalNYC will continue to observe Pantheon Systems’ behavior. In keeping with our Gifts Acceptance policy, we are reevaluating our acceptance of their gift of web hosting and their relationship with us as an event sponsor.
We encourage others to read the responses of Pantheon’s founders on LinkedIn where this decision was initially questioned and consider what actions they can take to encourage Pantheon to make better decisions. We welcome the advice and feedback of the Drupal community in New York City about this situation at feedback@drupalnyc.org.
