April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). SAAM calls attention to the fact that sexual violence is widespread and impacts every person in our workplaces and in our communities. To prevent sexual violence we must raise public awareness and put policies in place protecting all people.

When the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) revoked George Homewood's professional credentials in January 2023 for ethical misconduct involving inappropriate and sexually-oriented conversations with planners, the Women & Planning Division was stunned to discover that American Planning Association's (APA) bylaws do not contain a formal policy prohibiting sexual harassment. We want to be very clear - the absence of a comprehensive, unambiguous anti-harassment policy leaves APA members (and the APA organization) vulnerable to the predatory and degrading behaviors and actions of harassers.

Nearly two months ago, the Women & Planning Division's Executive Committee requested in writing that APA and AICP leadership take immediate and meaningful actions:

• Condemning the perpetration of harassment
• Affirming a zero tolerance approach to harassment
• Publicly supporting members who have been the targets of harassment, and
• Adopting an anti-harassment policy.

Despite our best efforts, many communications, and multiple offers of resources, expertise, and support, APA and AICP's leadership have failed to meaningfully address our requests, take responsibility for the lack of a policy protecting members, or meet our expectations for the timely adoption and implementation of an anti-harassment policy. 

APA's only public response to our requests is the recently published Statement on Sexual Harassment and Discrimination and associated Action Steps in the March 16, 2023 edition of Interact. If you missed it, we're not surprised. "APA Takes on Sexual Harassment and Discrimination" is after the article discussing street naming and address regulations. And after the article on rural transit. And after the NPC23 promotion. This response falls woefully short of our stated expectations for a meaningful anti-harassment policy and highlights a perplexing disconnect between what members need and what senior staff and the APA Board are willing to concede. Compared to the thoughtful policies and commitments of similar professional organizations like the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), APA's "Statement on Sexual Harassment and Discrimination" is a clear attempt at placating members while doing as little as possible to catalyze meaningful change. How can we, as planners, aspire to "Creating great communities for all" when we fail to protect our own members and organization?

To expedite implementation, the Women & Planning Division is submitting a petition-initiated amendment to add a comprehensive anti-harassment policy to APA's Bylaws, similar in scope, scale, and protection to those of our peer organizations (as allowed by Section 13.2 of the APA Bylaws). We are confident that we can substantially exceed the minimum of 100 APA member signatures, but we need your help to get there. Please share this petition and help us exceed our goal!

Pursuant to Section 13.2 of the Bylaws of the American Planning Association, this is a formal petition signed and submitted by APA members, requesting that APA’s bylaws be immediately amended to include a substantive anti-harassment policy. Specifically, this policy should include:

• A statement of APA's zero-tolerance for sexual harassment
• A robust definition of sexual harassment, including who must comply with the policy and where it applies, ex. “This policy applies to all APA members, APA employees, partners, sponsors, vendors, and others in connection with APA operations, while attending or engaged in APA-hosted events or activities, or while at an APA venue (such as at APA offices); or when participating in business or social activities or discussions related to APA. This policy also includes behaviors and that may occur via email, phone, text messages, direct messaging, social networking sites, or other means.”
• Enhanced sexual harassment complaint procedures protecting reporters and whistleblowers from retaliatiory actions
• Affirmation that adopted anti-harassment policies apply to Chapters, Divisions, and all other subsidiaries and/or affiliates of APA
• Clear and compelling sexual harassment sanctions and disciplinary measures
• Implementation of the sexual harassment policy
• Monitoring and reporting (including transparency of reports and findings)

Until APA adopts a meaningful and comprehensive anti-harassment policy into the Bylaws, we remain vulnerable and unprotected by our own professional organization. 

Systems of oppression such as racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, ageism, ableism, etc. contribute to higher rates of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse. Unfortunately, those same groups are also the most impacted by inequitable systems of oppression in our society, and statistics show:

• More than 1 in 4 non-Hispanic Black women (29%) in the United States were raped in their lifetime (Basile et al., 2022)
• More than 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native women (84.3%) have experienced violence in their lifetime (Rosay, 2016)
• 1 in 3 Hispanic women (34.8%) reported unwanted sexual contact in their lifetime (Basile et al., 2022)
• 32.9% of adults with intellectual disabilities have experienced sexual violence (Tomsa et al., 2021).
•  47% of all transgender people have been sexually assaulted at some point in their lives (James et al., 2016)

Despite these sobering statistics, our professional organization, the American Planning Association (APA) does not have a comprehensive adopted anti-harassment policy. A rule prohibiting harassment was only added to the American Institute of Certified Planner’s Code of Ethics in 2022. 

This is unacceptable for a professional organization in the year 2023. We will continue advocating until reasonable, achievable policies are adopted protecting a planner's right to work, network, learn, and socialize in environments free from harassment.