Last night we found out:

• The Mountaineers are launching a subcommittee to look into the issues raised in this petition.

We also confirmed:

• The Registered Sex Offender reported in November was not removed. We'd seen several leadership members in our mentions stating this petition was misinformed. However, we knew from emails exchanged behind the scenes that Nicolas had resigned.
  
  • Upon being reported to the Head of Programs, Nicolas was apparently given the option to resign in lieu of an investigation into his criminal status. He chose to resign and was even offered a refund (though I'd like to see the specifics of that interaction). This is not something I have seen offered to any other member listed in the petition in my recollection.
  • Lower-rank volunteer leaders state that Nicolas continued hiking on an official Mountaineers hike with members after being confronted by upper leadership in response to the initial complaint. Senior staff has been insistent that Nicolas was 'removed' prior to Thanksgiving before this petition was posted. and that the situation was resolved within days However, lower leaders have stated he continued hiking and was included on a hike a full week after being reported.
    
    • I am saddened to hear that Nicolas was continuing to harm members even after being 'dealt' with by Mountaineers staff. This petition is for them. 
    • It would be interesting to view communications between Mountaineers staff and said Registered Sex Offender to see where communication around him being "banned" broke down. 
• Prohibited Behavior Complaint Forms go directly to employees with no professionally administered SA/DV Victim Advocate Training
  • This should be made clear to members. I find the responses to survivors of violent crime within the Mountaineers (who have bravely shared their records) often unprofessional in tone, completely inappropriate in the context of an assault, and embarrassing for me to read as someone with professional training.
    
    • Training is available online and for free on a federal level through the Office for Victims of Crime. State and local training is easily accessible. We host Bystander Training monthly with KCSARC. I offer one-on-one consultations with leaders. I have worked with OSAT, Climbers of Color, Queer Mountaineers, and many other outdoor advocacy organizations in reviewing their policies and making changes to benefit their members safety.
  • No support resources are given to survivors who come forward.
    • Questions during the meeting were asked involving which resources are given to members who report. The answers confirmed to me that there is no grief counseling offered during the period in which "untrained" victim advocates investigate a claim. Some talk of third-party investigation is underway!
    • No support resources (mental health, legal, community aid) are given to survivors after an investigation concludes or after an appeal. This is clear to me as we offer resources to Mountaineers members who experience abuse, but I am glad it's being made clear to leadership so that more members can become aware of this hole in procedures.
    • I have never seen written communication from the Mountaineers to a victim referring them to law enforcement. This is alarming in the case of the sexual assault reported in [Redacted] to Mountaineers leadership involving a student who reported she was sleeping in her tent when she was assaulted by her [Redacted]. It should be noted, we reached out to a parole officer about a listed member's participation last month as we doubt the Mountaineers were doing so.

Some additional notes from me:

While I have worked to provide Mountaineers members free training and vetting resources, raised thousands of dollars to help pay for financial aid, mental health support, legal support, and mutual aid to survivors, and many leaders have met or worked with me over the past 12 months, no one seems to know my name. As a biracial Jew who works within a white-dominated community, I do not appreciate being called the 'Petition's Author' and would rather be referred to as 'Woman Doing This Work for Us Already.' Additionally, I understand as a minority that there are nuances surrounding vetting as it pertains to white supremacist systems in the US. This petition does not request mandatory background checks be made on all members, nor does it demand it. Attempts to whitewash or conflate my work are not appreciated.

Additionally, as someone who faces racism and sexism, I am familiar with statistics around sexual violence (courtesy of the US Dept of Justice) which point towards this issue being less about race, and rather, more about Patriarchy.

• 99% of perpetrators are men.
• Less than 35% of perpetrators are black, indigenous, or people of color. The majority of perpetrators are white.
• Over half of perpetrators have a prior conviction for a serious crime.
• Less than 1% of sexual assaults lead to a conviction. When the Mountaineers have members with multiple convictions, it should sound alarm bells and they should be asking what makes their organization attractive to such members of our community.

Continuing to allow white men with histories of sexual/domestic violence unrestricted access to members in isolated areas despite them not being allowed near churches, schools, or firearms can easily be interpreted as white supremacy in my opinion. Furthermore, the racism noted in the Everett Instructors' section of the petition should be highlighted as not only does one of the specific instructors have a criminal history (which includes multiple cases of domestic assault), but the majority of these victims are women and children of color. Doing nothing to restrict his access is harmful to the BIPOC community both inside and outside the Mountaineers in my professional opinion.

I am late to Hannukah and need to spend time with my family, but I will be available via email if anyone needs me after the 15th. Thank you for everyone's time and attention to these matters.

Here is how else you can help:

• Continue reporting members who are perpetrating violence in our community through the Prohibited Behavior Complaint Form. Please save these complaints and their ensuing communications so that we have record.
• Continue contacting your favorite 501c3s who perform criminal vetting to ensure they are aware of this issue. We are watching as they put pressure on the Mountaineers staff to act.
• Share the petition!
• Take Bystander Training with King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (givebutter.com/BAT).
• Write the Mountaineers if you have professional resources that could help them with their subcommittee. 

Mel