PUNK VALUES
The Saint Louis City Punks community prides itself on being a space for authenticity and living our values as human beings. We believe that the collective is as important as the individual. To ensure that our members represent the values we uphold as leaders of the group and organization, we ask that everyone who wants to Walk Among Us acknowledge and agree to the Code of Conduct below.
SLCP MEMBERSHIP CODE OF CONDUCT
Saint Louis City Punks is committed to fostering a welcoming and positive environment rooted in the St. Louis community and open to all, regardless of background. We believe in inclusivity and aim to be part of creating the best supporter section experience in Major League Soccer.
As such, violence, racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, threats, and all forms of discrimination or harassment will not be tolerated. This commitment is also rooted in our community beyond the confines of St. Louis’s MLS Stadium on match day. Whether at public events, watch parties, or away games, our actions reflect the Saint Louis City Punks.
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1. Conduct yourself respectfully and respect others around you.
2. Language or actions considered to be harassing, threatening, violent, racist, homophobic, sexist, xenophobic, or in any way bigoted is unacceptable as a Punk.
3. Behavior that appears to target any individual or group in a way that is perceived as or is objectively threatening is not allowed.
4. When attending an event on behalf of Saint Louis City Punks, illegal behavior is not ok.
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Saint Louis City Punks encourages creativity from our members. When using the SLCP name, brand elements, or logos; we ask that Leadership approval is obtained prior to use on social media, apparel, flags, or other items.
Items created for use by SLCP must meet brand standards, available upon request.
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Resale of supporter section tickets in your possession for greater than your own purchase price (per ticket, per game) is discouraged and will lead to disciplinary action or expulsion from the group.
In the event that you cannot attend a home match and do resell, you are encouraged to advise purchasers of section expectations in advance of the purchase - standing, chanting, flags, etc.
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Members should comply with stadium policy whether at home or on the road: CITYPARK Fan Code of Conduct
Members should comply with CITY SC and RSG partnership policy and procedures.
Members should comply with the MLS Fan Code of Conduct
Anyone violating this Code of Conduct will face disciplinary action, including removal from the Saint Louis City Punks. All members, regardless of position or tenure with the group, will be subject to and held to the same standard under this Code of Conduct. Members of the Leadership Board may be held to a higher standard than others.
In a nutshell, it is up to each member to deliver on our commitment to having a safe supporter group. This starts by speaking up when you see or hear something that goes against our code of conduct. It is all our responsibility to hold each other accountable. This includes addressing the person in question during the incident and then passing on that information to Punk leadership so they are aware of the incident and can take appropriate action. We are all accountable for making the Punks better.
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Minor violations (Yellow Card) – Will be handled as a “verbal” warning (it may be sent via Discord DMs). We recognize that there can be misunderstandings with the code of conduct in applying it in the real world and things can happen in the heat of the moment.
Major violations (Red Card) – Will be issued to the offending party when the Leadership Board deems it warranted. This also includes repeat offenses of improper behavior addressed previously as a minor violation (Yellow Card). Instances of racism, sexism, homophobic, xenophobic, transphobic chants and slurs, threats, violence, sexual or other harassment, grossly inappropriate behavior, and all forms of discrimination will result in an immediate major violation (Red Card).
Immediate Disciplinary Action – If two major violations occur within a 1-year period (dating to the first Red Card violation) it will result in immediate disciplinary action with the Leadership Board. Certain situations may arise where the offense committed leads to immediate disciplinary action up to and including permanent removal from the Saint Louis City Punks.
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A Yellow Card warning will be provided verbally by any Leadership Board member upon witnessing any act that violates the Code of Conduct. Yellow Card warnings can also be issued by the following paths:
Designated Officers of the Saint Louis City Punks are also charged with issuing a verbal Yellow Card warning in cases where they witness an act violating this Code of Conduct if a Leadership Board member is not present.
If a Saint Louis City Punks Member or non-member witnesses a Yellow Card violation, they must submit a written complaint to the Leadership Board.
All Yellow Card warnings will be recorded in writing by the issuer and presented to the Leadership Board. The violation will be reviewed and any violation found to be credible will be voted on by the Leadership Board and will be upheld by a majority vote. If a violation is upheld the Leadership Board will determine the appropriate sanction which may be probation or suspension from Punks activity for a period to be determined by the Leadership Board. Yellow Card warnings will remain on the Member’s record for a period not to exceed 3 months from the date the violation occurred.
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A Red Card warning will be issued in cases where a violation as laid out in the Red Card section of the Code of Conduct has been deemed to occur, OR the offender has received two Yellow Card warnings within a 3-month period. The Red Card will be issued to the offender by a Member of the Leadership Board verbally upon witnessing any act that meets the Red Card criteria. Red Card warnings can also be issued by the following path:
If a Saint Louis City Punks Officer, Member, or non-member witnesses a Red Card violation they must submit a written complaint to the Leadership Board.
All Red Card warnings will be recorded in writing by the issuer and presented to the Leadership Board. The violation will be reviewed and any violation found to be credible will be voted on by the Leadership Board and will be upheld by a majority vote. If a violation is upheld the Leadership Board will determine the appropriate sanction. Removal from the Saint Louis City Punks and forfeiture of any previously paid dues requires a unanimous vote from the Leadership Board. In cases where unanimous consent is not reached the Leadership Board reserves the right to determine the length of suspension from Saint Louis City Punks privileges and activity as well as additional progressive Yellow Card sanctions in the future.
Written complaints as used above are understood to contain the following: identity of the issuer of the complaint, the Member complained about, and as clear a description of the alleged misconduct as possible.
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Members and leaders of Saint Louis City Punks are encouraged to hold the soccer community to appropriate standards, as outlined in this Code of Conduct. Because non-members have not provided agreement to adhere to this Code of Conduct, disciplinary actions cannot apply.
The Saint Louis City Punks leaders and members are not responsible for non-member behavior and should escalate any issues to the appropriate authority.
Conduct of non-members may be noted by leadership and may impact an individual’s ability to join SLCP.
Disclaimer: In instances where the behavior or actions of an individual member are seen as detrimental to the community, membership may be terminated. While instances of such an occurrence would be rare, and typically preceded by violations of the Code of Conduct, SLCP leadership does reserve the right to revoke membership at their discretion.
REPORT A CONCERN OR ISSUE TO SLCP LEADERSHIP
Please use this form to submit a concern or report an issue to the SLCP leadership team. Our members and leaders are expected to abide by the above Code of Conduct on game day and at public events when representing the Punks.