Please note: NoVa TEEN Book Festival closed permanently in 2023.
NoVa TEEN strives to create a welcoming, positive environment where everyone can feel safe and accepted, and celebrate Young Adult Literature. In order to ensure that everyone can enjoy the festival, all attendees, volunteers, staff and guests must abide by the policies and code of conduct listed below.
Anti-Harassment Policy
NoVa TEEN has a ZERO TOLERANCE policy for harassment of any kind.
This applies to, but is not limited to: unwanted touching, physical assault, unwanted physical contact, stalking, offensive verbal comments or verbal harassment, intimidation, bullying, unwanted remarks of a lewd or sexual nature, unwanted photography or recording, bathroom policing, intentional disruption of programming, unwanted physical attention or commentary, in relation to, but not limited to: race, religious beliefs/customs, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, language, gender identity, gender presentation, age, body size, pregnancy, mental or physical disability, physical appearance or attire.
Any person engaging in these behaviors will be subject to immediate disciplinary action by the NoVa TEEN staff upon notification of breach of this policy, which may include, but is not limited to, being banned from the festival.
This policy applies to everyone at the festival—attendees, authors, volunteers, moderators, staff, exhibitors, press, etc. This policy is in effect at all areas of the festival: public spaces for panels, in lines for food trucks, bathrooms, green rooms, hallways, parking lots, and anywhere else within the NoVa TEEN premises.
Reporting Harassment or Policy Violations
Anyone may report harassment or a violation of a NoVa TEEN Book Festival’s policies. Anyone at the festival, regardless of convention role, can be reported for harassment or a violation of the festival’s policies. You may make a report at any time during or after the festival. If someone’s behavior has made you uncomfortable at all, or if you witness something happening to someone else, you should immediately report it via one of the following methods:
- Contact a NoVa TEEN Staff Member. If one is not present in your vicinity, a Volunteer in a red shirt and volunteer sticker can escort you to a senior staff member.
- Go to the One More Page Books sales table (directly outside the auditorium) and speak with a staff member.
- Calling One More Page Books at 703-300-9746.
- Emailing novateenbookfestival@gmail.com. Please note that this method of reporting may not be received during the festival, but staff will respond to your report no matter when it is made.
When you make a report, we will ensure you are safe, escort you to a designated safe place for reporting, and ask you if you would like to invite a partner, friend or supporter to be with you during the report. If you are under 18, we will contact your parent or guardian to be with you during your report.
We are committed to treating you with respect and ensuring you feel heard and understood during your report. Once your report has been received, one or more members of the NoVa TEEN Committee will determine what actions will be taken.
NoVa TEEN may take one or more of the following actions:
- Request someone who is causing problems to change their behavior
- Revoke access to some or all festival spaces
- Ban someone from the festival
- Ban someone from future festivals for a period of time, or permanently
- Choose not to take action
- Involve local law enforcement
- Request an ambulance for medical assistance
- Make a public statement regarding actions that NoVa TEEN takes in response to a report, prioritizing confidentiality as much as possible
- Please note: involvement in NoVa TEEN does not legally require anyone to report allegations of child abuse or harm, however many of our staff are mandated reporters in their professional lives. We take allegations extremely seriously and may contact law enforcement or VA Department of Social Services during the reporting process.
During the reporting process, NoVa TEEN Book Festival committee members and staff WILL NOT:
- Reveal your identity or the substance of your report unless absolutely necessary to investigate the incident or consult on future actions
- Take any retaliatory action against you for reporting
- Provide communication or mediation services
- Require any interaction between yourself and the person you are reporting
- Accompany you to the hospital or off the NoVa TEEN premises
-
DISCLAIMER
The views of attendees, authors, guests, sponsors and/or exhibitors do not necessarily reflect the views of NoVa TEEN Book Festival. Our festival retains the right to terminate relations with a partner at any time if deemed necessary for reasons that may include but are not limited to: hateful speech, harmful content, assault and/or harassment.
Code of Conduct
Do not physically harm or endanger other people.
Consent is essential. Always ask first and wait for someone to grant verbal permission if you wish to touch someone’s clothing, property, assistive devices, service animals or person. If someone says no, or tells you they feel uncomfortable, respect their request and desist immediately.
“No” means no. “Stop” means stop. “Go away” means go away. If you continue to attempt to interact with that person, you may be removed from the premises.
Other Festival Policies
Animals
In order to protect the health and safety of students, employees, and visitors, animals are prohibited on school property. Exceptions will be made for service animals to accommodate a person’s disability.
If you have any questions regarding service animals in FCPS buildings, contact the Office of Equity and Employee Relations at 571-423-3070, or review the FCPS policy on service animals. https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/8R5LR257BA5C/$file/R2125.pdf
Assisting with accessibility and safety
- Please ensure all aisles and hallways are clear of your belongings. Tuck your belongings in front of or under your seat to ensure pathways and aisles can be freely navigated.
- Avoid congregating in doorways to be respectful of the need to share limited space so that everyone can move freely.
- Do not pet, distract, or take photos of service animals in the festival spaces.
- Respect your fellow participants and attendee’s privacy. Do not assume someone requires assistance. Ask first!
Bathrooms
Gender diversity is welcome at NoVa TEEN. All are welcome to use the bathroom that best fits their identity. There are also gender neutral bathrooms available at the festival.
Breastfeeding
NoVa TEEN welcomes breastfeeding anywhere in the festival and at any time. If you would prefer a quiet space to pump or breastfeed, please come to the One More Page Books sales table outside the auditorium and request to be shown to a quiet room.
Lost & Found
If you misplace property, please come to the One More Page Books sales tables outside of the auditorium and speak with a staff member about your lost item. If you find an item that appears to have been lost, please turn it into the One More Page Books staff at the sales table outside of the auditorium.
Solicitation
NoVa TEEN Book Festival has a no-solicitation policy. In order to provide a safe, distraction-free environment for our participants and attendees, we do not allow solicitation at our events by unauthorized parties (exceptions are made for exhibitors and sponsors who have previously been approved by the NoVa TEEN Book Festival.)
Tobacco and Alcoholic Beverages Prohibited
User agrees there shall be no tobacco products, no use of smoking devices (to include nicotine vapor products, alternative nicotine products, electronic cigarettes and Hookah pens), no alcoholic beverages, and no illegal drugs on FCPS property, which includes school buildings, playgrounds, and fields.
Weapons Prohibited
Attendees and participants are not permitted to possess any gun, knife, explosive device, ammunition, object that is capable of discharging a projectile, or other weapon on school property. This includes starter and paintball guns, blades, brass knuckles, mace, and similar devices, as well as objects that look like weapons.
Accessibility Policy
NoVa TEEN Book Festival is committed to providing a safe and accessible environment and festival experience to everyone, no matter their gender, gender expression and identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, body size, disability, and medical condition, and in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Marshall High School is fully wheelchair accessible, including ramps to the front door and within the building to access all areas of the school where NoVa TEEN holds programming, and accessible bathrooms and drinking fountains. Microphones and speakers are used in the main auditorium and in the Game room. If you plan to attend NoVa TEEN Book Festival and you require additional accessibility accommodations, please contact NoVa TEEN at novateenbookfestival@gmail.com well in advance of the festival so that we can be prepared to assist your experience to the best of our abilities.