Title
Ordinance amending and supplementing the City Code at Title One: Administrative, Article XI: Human Resources, Chapter 197: Code of Conduct, by adding a new section, entitled 197.21: Hateful Activities.
Body
Whereas, the Center for American Progress, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Free Press, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, Color of Change, and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, along with a coalition of more than 40 groups, announced the release of Change the Terms, a set of recommended policies for corporations to adopt and implement to reduce hateful activities on their platforms; and,
Whereas, this policy amendment is consistent with “Change the Terms” policy recommendation; and,
Whereas, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s Online Hate and Harassment: The American Experience Report, 37% of Americans have experienced severe online harassment, which includes sexual harassment, stalking, physical threats, and sustained harassment; and,
Whereas, according to the report, more than half of Americans (59%) believe that online hate and harassment are making hate crimes more common; and,
Whereas, Significant swaths of the population also feel less safe in their community (22%) as a result of online hate; and,
Whereas, 67% of Americans want companies to make it easier to report hateful content and behavior; and,
The Council of the City of Pittsburgh hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The City Code is hereby amended and supplemented at Title One: Administrative, Article XI: Human Resources, Chapter 197: Code of Conduct, by adding a new section as follows:
Section 197.21 HATEFUL ACTIVITIES
(a) No Public Official, Public Employee, or City Employee shall engage in “Hateful Activities” toward another Public Official, Public Employee, or City Employee
(b) No Public Official, Public Employee, or City Employee will encourage nor organize others to engage in “Hateful Activities” toward another Public Official, Public Employee, or City Employee
(c) The prohibition of “hateful activities” includes acts that occur in person or in writing and/or across various media platforms including but not limited to Email, Facebook, Twitter.
Section 2. The City Code is hereby amended and supplemented at Title One: Administrative, Article XI: Human Resources, Chapter 197: Code of Conduct, Section 197.02: Definitions, by adding an additional definition as follows:
(n) HATEFUL ACTIVITY. Any activities that incite or engage in violence, intimidation, harassment, threats, or defamation targeting an individual or group based on their actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, immigration status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.