SSB Code of Conduct Panel
The SSB Code of Conduct Panel, formerly known as the Harassment Task Force. is a group of community members dedicated to enforcing and recommending bans for individuals within the competitive scene involved in harassment, abuse, or any other misdemeanors. The formation of the panel was announced on April 12th, 2018 with a formal opening announced on September 11th, 2018. The project was initially organized by Josh Kassel but is now managed by Kyle Nolla.
List of cases
The following list is based on publicly-known information.
| Date | Player | Reason(s) | Verdict | Link | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 23rd, 2019 | Mafia | Sexual harassment | Unbanned | Public Statement | Initial verdict was appealed by 23 TOs. Final verdict not publicly known. |
| July 5th, 2019 | Ally | Offense involving a minor | Lifetime ban | Public Statement | Appeal rejected on May 14th, 2020. |
| January 16th, 2020 | CaptainZack | Match fixing | Indefinite ban | Public Statement | Chance for appeal after 5 years. Insight was provided by panel member, Enzo. |
| January 16th, 2020 | Mew2Queen | Sexual harassment | Lifetime ban | Public Statement Ammendment |
Initially indefinitely banned with chance for appeal after 2.5 years. |
| April 12th, 2020 | Overtriforce | Sexual harassment | Lifetime ban | Public Statement Case |
Investigation performed by UK Melee Backroom. |
| April 2020 | Hoover | Level 3/4 offenses | Indefinite ban | Public Statement | Chance for appeal after 5 years. |
Controversy
Authority and legitimacy
Specific cases
In early 2019, the panel was the center of controversy when it decided to recommend the unbanning of Mafia, who had involved in a sexual harassment case. The panel supported this recommendation by stating that Mafia had shown major signs of improvement through the use of therapy and many self-directed efforts to better himself. The majority of the community aware of the situation expressed their disapproval of the decision and many tournament organizers ignored the recommendation. The panel was unanimously criticized for allowing someone who had perpetrated an act of sexual harassment back into the community. As a result of this, an appeal was made by 23 tournament organizers who had applied to the panel's signatory list. The final verdict was not publicized, however, he has remained banned in most if not all regions.
In January of 2020, the panel would once again be the center of controversy due to the nature of the bans involving CaptainZack and Mew2Queen. CaptainZack, who was involved in a match fixing incident and given an indefinite ban, was allowed to submit an appeal after 5 years while Mew2Queen, who was involved in a sexual harassment case and also indefinitely banned, was allowed an appeal after only 2.5. The community criticized the panel for issuing a shorter ban period to someone who who perpetrated an act of sexual harassment, which has considerably greater ramifications than match fixing. In a Twitter thread produced by Enzo, it was explained that Zack's 5 year ban period was the result of convincing privately-shared evidence as well as following common protocol for match fixing in other competitive environments. Enzo expressed that he had advocated for a one year ban period, but was ultimately not successful. On January 18th, it was announced that any person found to have committed any form of sexual harassment would be issued a lifetime ban. This would retroactively apply to Mew2Queen.
