[Community-Discuss] Allegation of Harassment

Sat Mar 17 04:53:18 UTC 2018

Kris

With all due respect it took the board three days to do what should have been done on Tuesday.

Those three days have done their damage.

And allegation or not in any organization sensitive to Gender issues the person who used the language being alleged should have been sent home immediately with full pay while issues are resolved.

Any member of the community is free to reiterate this issue since that’s what is done everywhere and why not AFRINIC.

Are we saying that we operate under different standards. ??

We trust the board and the relevant committees will do the right thing but where we see a glaring omission we are free to share our sentiment.

What is known publicly is enough for community members to comment

Regards

Sent from my iPhone

On 17 Mar 2018, at 06:37, Badru Ntege <badru.ntege at nftconsult.com<mailto:badru.ntege at nftconsult.com>> wrote:

Good Morning 😃 Mike

Thanks for “echoing” that you understood the email more than all of us.   In a free world, one is free to express his individual views and opinions.

You are also free to assume that you know more about this matter than I may.

However Since you may not know what I do know and nor may I know what information you have right now.

It’s only fare that non of us tries to silence each other. It’s a community mailing list let’s allow the community to openly express their sentiments.

I hope you do have a wonderful weekend.

Regards

Sent from my iPhone

On 17 Mar 2018, at 03:59, Mike Silber <silber.mike at gmail.com<mailto:silber.mike at gmail.com>> wrote:

Hi Badru

This matter has been referred by the board.

The scope and modalities of the investigation will be discussed this coming week and communicated thereafter.

Could I ask that, if you have any direct evidence of potentially inappropriate behavior, you should please reveal it in the investigation process.

If however you have no direct evidence and are simply acting as an echo chamber for allegations, you should refrain from making unsupported accusations like "disgraced our female employee and continues to mistreat our staff".

This indicates prejudice and not what we expect from a senior community member.

Mike

On Fri, 16 Mar 2018 at 20:19, Badru Ntege <badru.ntege at nftconsult.com<mailto:badru.ntege at nftconsult.com>> wrote:
Community

It’s nice that our colleague Andrew finally saw the light but I think my decision to release factual information that was being hidden by him and our fallen chair was an attempt to stop the rot which has finally claimed the author at the time.

A’luta continua as the song goes.  We the community made some mistakes in choices to the board. The organization has been hurt but it will heal.

Now I hope the board also handles the member of staff who has disgraced our female employee and continues to mistreat our staff.

Let’s never forget that AFRINIC was created out of the will of the community for the community as much as bylaws leave community as bystanders while members vote.

Ultimately the will of the community is the life of Afrinic.

Right now the community is silent but hurting and we need the board to show swift leadership.

I’m glad that chair finally made the decision that should have been made earlier.

There’s still work to do let’s please dispense of these issues before the upcoming AGMM

Regards.

Sent from my iPhone

On 16 Mar 2018, at 19:04, Andrew Alston <Andrew.Alston at liquidtelecom.com<mailto:Andrew.Alston at liquidtelecom.com>> wrote:

Dear Former Chair,

I am saddened by what I read here, and actually more than a little disturbed.

Firstly – let me state categorically that I agree with waiting for the investigation to conclude on the harassment allegations, and you and I find alignment on that issue.  However, there is another issue where we strongly diverge, and despite the conversations we have had on the matter in the last few days – the details of which will remain private – you have chosen to ignore what has been stated so clearly.

I draw attention to this part of your email:
I do acknowledge  that I shared a chat (with the best intentions) which should have been treated with more caution, no matter how good the intention was.

Sunday – What you did was a blatant violation of the NDA agreement you signed as a board member – and yes I realize fully that you can argue what was shared in the document that was attached to the allegation was a chat between you and two other people and did not stem directly out of a board meeting.  However, you were involved in a discussion around AfriNIC business that clearly and without equivocation related to your work as chair and related to information gained and dealt with in your position as a board member.  You then chose to share that information with a third party.

In 2014 – the former board passed the following resolution:

Resolution 201411.211: The Board RESOLVED ; Information discussed within the Board should not be disclosed to third parties without Board approval. Violation may lead to expulsion from the Board as provided by the Bylaws. However, information disclosed by the Board to third parties not under NDA to the Board is no longer confidential and is deemed to be in the public domain.

Please note – that does not say formal board meeting – it says within the board – and considering the information under discussion in what was shared – it is without dispute that that was board sensitive privileged information and that discussion can be very much considered information discussed within the board – even if it is a subset of the board.

A few months after this resolution was passed – two members of the board, Mr Badru Ntege and Mr Paulos Nyirende chose to violate the NDA – and then chose to do the honourable thing and resign over the breach of NDA rather than face disciplinary action.  I am shocked considering your role in in the authorship of that resolution and your full awareness of the subsequent happenings that lead to two members of the board resigning – that you now hold yourself to a different standard.

I strongly believe that you have done a very good job as chair – and I wish on everything that is in me that I did not have to find myself writing this email – but the reality is – rules have to be consistent – the application of rules has to be consistent – what applies to one must apply to all – anything else makes all rules meaningless – and what you are doing now I find to the height of hypocrisy and far beneath the man I know you to be.

Please – do what is right – and I strongly believe you know what that is.

Andrew

From: Sunday Folayan [mailto:sfolayan at gmail.com]
Sent: 16 March 2018 17:38
To: General Discussions of AFRINIC <community-discuss at afrinic.net<mailto:community-discuss at afrinic.net>>; members-discuss at afrinic.net<mailto:members-discuss at afrinic.net>
Subject: [Community-Discuss] Allegation of Harassment

Dear members and the Community,

Over the last few days, some allegations have been made that are serious
and by very nature threaten to further divide this community and
represent a threat to the AfriNIC organization.

I believe the unity of the community is as important as the sanctity of
the Board, and it is my responsibility to ensure none is compromised
further.

While I categorically deny any claims of any harassment levied at me,
and believe these allegations are entirely spurious, I do acknowledge
that I shared a chat (with the best intentions) which should have been
treated with more caution, no matter how good the intention was.

It is my responsibility to step down as Chair, pending the conclusion of
the investigations on the harassment claims.

May I most respectfully request that we await the independent
investigation that the Board has initiated, and be patient, so that the
community can come out of this strongest. I remain committed as a member
of the community.

I have prior to now, communicated my decision to my colleagues on the Board.

I look forward to being allowed to defend myself, and justice being
served for all, on the matter.

With Kind Regards ....

Sunday Folayan.

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