TED takes action to stop sexual harassment

At the annual TED conference in Vancouver, one man was “asked to leave” and another barred for being the source of five complaints by women at the event earlier this year, TED organizers have revealed.

“We were informed privately that four women attendees experienced sexual harassment, and another experienced aggressive behaviour from male attendees,” TED said in a blog post.

“We were alarmed by what we heard and immediately conducted full investigations to understand the context and impact of what had happened.”

The blog post on Friday referred to a story in the Washington Post about sexual harassment at TED conferences.

TED Vancouver took place April 24 to 28.

The first TED was in 1984, but it didn’t become an annual event until 1990 in Monterey, Calif.

Technology, Entertainment and Design is known for spreading ideas through talks of about 18 minutes in length. The first TED was held in Vancouver in 2014.

When TED was asked Monday whether the incidents were reported to Vancouver police, TED referred Postmedia to Group SJR, a public relations company based in New York. Postmedia is awaiting a response from Group SJR.

In its blog post, TED said that the annual conference attracts 2,000 people.

In recent years it has increased participation of women attending from about 25 per cent to 40 per cent.

“By and large, the vast majority of attendees report a wonderful experience,” the blog post says. “But incidents do happen.” TED goes on to say that when it heard that an attendee has experienced behaviour that made them “uncomfortable or worse,” it has investigated and done its best to resolve the complaints.

“But this past year’s experience has motivated us to do far more to strengthen our existing procedures,” the blog post says. TED referred to two initiatives: “Making clear every attendee is aware of our code of conduct, and that violation of it would mean removal from the event” and “publicizing the means by which attendees can report problems.”

TED said it “is determined to continue to increase the number of women who come to TED and to ensure that the conference experience is one where all attendees feel safe and respected.”