We posed questions to Pantheon.
In that initial letter, we asked Pantheon Systems, Inc. to substantiate their decision to provide services to Alliance Defending Freedom. A comprehensive report from the Southern Poverty Law Center provides the basis used to classify the ADF organization as a hate group.
The Acceptable Use Policy of Pantheon Systems, Inc., contains this prohibition:
(f) Use the Services in any libelous, defamatory, abusive, threatening, harassing, hateful, offensive, or manner that otherwise violates your obligations hereunder, any law, or protected right of any third party;
Hatred of any form is unacceptable so we asked Pantheon to do something hard: to admit their mistake and reverse their decision. We engaged in a conversation with them and do not share their views regarding the SPLC nor their rejection of the hate group designation. We are still open to conversations with them.
We originally asked them to do one of the following:
- Reverse your decision.
- Change your Acceptable Use Policy to be compatible with hosting organizations designated as hate groups when adequate evidence has been provided of such a designation.
We have additionally asked Pantheon Systems, Inc. to inform the community on what steps have been taken to offset this. Of particular concern to the board was whether they had policies in place to ensure that members of communities targeted by the ADF have adequate options to avoid assisting the ADF. They informed us that they do have a conscientious objection policy, which would allow employees to avoid the aforementioned assistance. We would also like to know if they are contributing all profits from ADF to an organization like ‘Trevor Project’ or others such that Pantheon is not profiting from ADF?
Pantheon has informed us that they do not agree that the evidence in the report substantiates a claim that the ADF is a hate group. We do not agree with the stance that a group can only be hateful if they are violent. We do not agree with the stance that hate can only be rejected if it rises to the level of being illegal.
After internal discussions, DrupalNYC’s Board agreed that DrupalNYC shall cease accepting gifts from Pantheon due to the incompatibility of their values with those of the Drupal community and DrupalNYC.
The board has additionally agreed to revisit this decision in the future if Pantheon changes their policies.