[sudo-discuss] [omni-consensus] El or Ellis set fires in the building

[Jake]

I wanted to follow up on this and formalize our position on this person coming
back to the building.  I think it's obvious that Ellis should be banned from
The Omni but I don't know what process is appropriate for documenting this.

I understand we have a "safe space ban" policy where a single person can
require another person to be banned, in which case I would personally take
responsibility for keeping this person away, as if it were a personal conflict
between us or something.  I feel that the Safe Space Ban process is
fundamentally flawed (or maybe it's just that we as a community are flawed) and
I don't feel like it's the appropriate venue for this situation.

So I want some clarity on this situation.  This is not a request for devil's
advocacy or the beginning of a long philosophical discussion, but I wonder if
that's where we're headed.

thanks
-jake

On Wed, 27 Oct 2021, Jake wrote:

> Tuesday night around 10PM, two people came into Sudoroom while we were having
> "Hardware Hacking Tuesdays" and one of them said he had been there before, 
> and
> he said his name was "El" or "Ellis".  He was about 5'10" and had short black
> dreadlocks and no glasses.  I don't remember his friend's name, but he left
> after not too long.
>
> El asked for help with setting up speakers, asked if he could use the 
> computer
> for something, asked for various tools and seemed to be working on something
> like hacking a piece of network gear that had been in the e-waste pile, which
> seemed normal enough for someone coming to hardware hack night.  We helped 
> with
> various requests but mostly he worked on it by himself.
>
> He had his phone connected to the speakers near the laser cutter, and a few
> times I had to ask him to turn down the music because it was making it harder
> for us to talk to each other, but it wasn't a big deal.
>
> He asked if he could smoke inside, which was one of several times the topic 
> of
> fire came up.  Apparently at some point he said "I like to set things on 
> fire"
> but I didn't hear that.  We told him that people don't smoke indoors and
> someone took him outside and showed him the side doors so he could smoke out
> there, and then he came back in.  He went out and came back in a couple of
> times.
>
> Around 12:45 AM, I got up to go to the bathroom and when I got to the door to
> the hallway next to CCL's entrance, it was closed, so I opened it and he was
> standing there and said "there's a fire" and I turned and looked and there 
> was
> a paper shopping bag on the floor that was on fire.  I yelled and stomped out
> the fire and the others came to help.  He said "You locked me out.  You stole
> my phone".  I told him to gather his shit and we escorted him to get his 
> phone
> and other items, and I escorted him to the door and made sure he had all his
> stuff with him and he left.  I was unable to get a picture of him.
>
> After he left I looked at the area where he was standing, and there had been 
> a
> sign or paper on the door that had been entirely burned, as well as the paper
> bag set on fire.  I poured water on everything and made sure there was no 
> fire
> left.  Myself and the others present then went around the whole building to 
> see
> if there was anyone else inside the building.
>
> The side doors (on 48th street) were not latched, although they were mostly
> closed.  We should probably try to make those doors close automatically.
>
> If anyone else has information on "El" aka "Ellis" please speak up.  One 
> person
> said "Well that's horrible. That guy has been to sudo many times before"
>
> good night
> -jake
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