At its Board meeting on January 28, 2026, The Troth’s High Rede adopted two new, public-facing standards that define what the public can expect from participation in The Troth and what members should expect from anyone serving in Troth leadership roles: The Troth Members’ General Code of Conduct and The Troth Leadership Code of Conduct.

This is the first time in The Troth’s history that the organization has adopted formal Codes of Conduct for both members and leaders. Beginning February 2026, The Troth will begin updating its bylaws to incorporate these standards and establish the enforcement mechanisms that support them.

What these Codes do

Clear expectations for members

The Members’ General Code of Conduct sets standards for respectful conduct, inclusion, and safety, including explicit prohibitions on harassment, discrimination, hate speech, retaliation, doxxing/privacy violations, and misuse of The Troth’s name or authority.

It also makes clear that good-faith reporting is protected, including when reporting requires sharing limited information through appropriate channels.

Higher standards for leadership

The Leadership Code of Conduct applies to directors, officers, committee chairs, program leads, moderators/admins of official platforms, and anyone acting in an official Troth capacity.

Leaders must follow the Members’ Code and meet additional requirements focused on accountability, fairness, and the responsible use of authority. For a long time, The Troth’s Bylaws stated that leadership would be held to “a higher standard.” Today, that standard is defined both for membership and leadership.

Key leadership commitments include:

• No institutional bullying: leaders may not use access, moderation powers, or disciplinary influence to intimidate, silence, punish, or selectively enforce rules against disfavored people.

• No weaponizing “frith”: leaders must not pressure harmed people into silence, forced reconciliation, or “being nice.”

• Non-retaliation: leaders must not retaliate against good-faith complaints, whistleblowing through appropriate channels, or participation in governance (including elections).

• Conflict-of-interest disclosure and recusal: leaders must disclose conflicts and step back when impartiality could reasonably be questioned.

• Privacy and safety: leaders must protect sensitive reports, share information on a need-to-know basis, and avoid “soft doxxing,” while allowing necessary sharing for good-faith reporting or safety response.

• Democratic culture: leaders must actively protect member participation and ensure dissent and criticism can be voiced without fear.

Next step: enforcement mechanisms in the bylaws

In February 2026, The Troth will begin bylaw work to incorporate these Codes of Conduct and formalize an enforcement structure that is consistent, fair, and accountable. This bylaw work is intended to clarify:

• reporting lanes and points of contact

• safeguards against conflicts of interest and retaliation

• interim safety measures when needed

• due-process expectations and appeal pathways

The Codes establish the standards now; the bylaw updates will establish the enforcement framework.

Availability

The full text of both Codes of Conduct is publicly available:

• Members’ General Code of Conduct on the Join Page

• Leadership Code of Conduct on the Leadership Page

PDF available for download below