Often, to avoid upsetting the people involved in bad behavior, the Crestfallen staff make vague and indistinct statements. These statements undermine confidence in the staff’s stance on such behavior.
Chaz recommended that the statement I requested as a condition of continuing to work with Crestfallen be written as follows to make it more palatable to Beren.
My actions in the past damaged the trust and respect between Scott and me, and harmed Scott’s character, which I had never intended. I have only ever known Scott to act with integrity in his work, and any rumors to the contrary are reprehensible.
Moving forward, I will endeavor to support and lift up my staff and defend them when necessary against any unsubstantiated accusations. I would like to publicly apologize for my actions, and I will strive to do better.
Notice how the new statement does not name the behavior and describe what was done. It states that “something bad” happened and “something better” should happen in the future.
The update in this Buttondown newsletter is another example.
During the course of the event, we had a breakdown in our safety procedures and responses. A good portion of this was caused by the heat and humidity. Tensions ran high and disputes occurred on multiple levels.
At the event run by Brittany Perry, Vince Errico verbally abused Mike Fife because Vince let himself get too hot in his fursuit. The post simply says that “disputes occurred on multiple levels,” shifting blame away from Vince and leaving Mike undefended by the Crestfallen staff while the other people at the event watched an overheated Vince Errico verbally abuse him.
This Facebook post follows the same style.
We have had a person come forward, share appropriate information, and are moving forward with making decisions regarding everything that has occurred.
What happened? What was shared? I have no idea what happened here.
For an example of this behavior on a larger scale, look at how American news media outlets cover the Palestinian genocide. This article illustrates the practice.
When the Israeli army kills Palestinians (as it often does), we read that “protesters have died.” The passive voice is the favorite rhetorical tool of propagandists worldwide, who “regret the mistakes that were made” without having to admit who made them.
In each of these instances, the bad behavior is not publicly addressed; it is treated as a private matter while the harm happens in public. From an outside observer’s perspective, it appears that the harm cannot be named. For a game that claims to provide a safe environment for its players, this is a very telling stance that shows the true character of the people involved.
Chaz told me that Beren is on a learning journey. I hope that, during this journey, Beren learns to speak clearly when injustice and harm occur and to defend the staff and players of his game.
As the game currently stands, attending it is not a good idea.