Guardians, Visitors, or Adult Participants Code of Conduct

In most 4-H settings, non-participants are welcome to serve as respectful audience members to cheer on and encourage 4-H youth. All guardians, visitors, or adult participants are subject to applicable South Dakota Board of Regents, South Dakota State University, SDSU Extension, and South Dakota 4-H program policies, and all other relevant laws and regulations.  

In addition to these policies, the following requirements must be followed by all guardians, visitors, or adult participants participating in or being present at any 4-H event or while on or in 4-H or SDSU Extension property:

• Comply with all programmatic requirements of any 4-H events.
• No using or possessing alcohol, tobacco, smokeless tobacco products, e-cigarettes, unregulated nicotine products, illegal drugs, and/or any other illegal or banned materials, including being reasonably suspected as intoxicated.
• No engaging in harassing, threatening, or obscene language, actions, imagery, or behavior.
• No unwanted physical touching or assault.
• No engaging in language, actions, or behavior that obstruct or disrupt the operation of the 4-H event.
• No property damage or theft (including cash, clothing, personal items, vehicles, equipment, buildings, fixtures, and grounds).
• No behavior that is illegal, unsafe, or unethical given the circumstances.
• No unwanted private, one-on-one interactions with youth members, at any time, both during or outside of 4-H activities, other than as approved by the youth member’s guardian, SDSU staff, or 4-H volunteer or an exceptional circumstance such as an emergency.
• Participation in any 4-H event while being the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation for a violent or sex offense, having been convicted of a violent or sex offense, or while being or having ever been a registered sex offender is strictly prohibited.

A South Dakota 4-H or pertinent SDSU Extension professional may, if necessary, in their sole judgment, alter the involvement of any 4-H guardians, visitors, or adult participants who does not comply as provided below.

Guidelines for Altering Involvement for Guardians, Visitors, or Adult Participants Non-Volunteers

A South Dakota 4-H or pertinent SDSU Extension professional may, if necessary, alter the involvement of any 4-H guardians, visitors, or adult participants who does not comply with the above provisions. In such instances, the decision of the professional is final.  Under typical circumstances, personnel will alter the involvement of the offending individual via the following ordered mechanism:

1. Warning: For a first violation that is not a serious violation (e.g., violent, implicating youth safety, substantially impacts the operation or outcome of the 4-H event) and to which 4-H personnel respond at the event. May be written or verbal, but most likely will be verbal if during a live event.  Similar to giving a yellow card in soccer, a warning informs the offending individual of the inappropriate act/behavior, reminds/highlights our guardians, visitors, or adult participants policy, and describes what change in behavior is necessary to continue involvement.
2. Event-specific alteration: For a second violation after receiving a warning or after any single serious violation to which 4-H personnel respond at the event. May be written or verbal, but most likely will be verbal if during a live event.  Similar to giving a red card in soccer, the alteration must inform the offending individual of the inappropriate act/behavior, remind/highlight our guardians, visitors, or adult participants policy if not already done, and describe the time/event parameters of dis-involvement and re-engagement. Guardians, visitors, or adult participants who fail to reasonably comply will be referred to local law enforcement and for Permanent Alteration as described below.
3. Time/program-specific alteration: For a second violation after receiving a warning or after any single serious violation to which 4-H personnel are unable to respond to at the event. This alteration must be written and conveyed through certified mail or in-person with a witness and copied to the SDSU Extension State 4-H Program Director.  It also must inform the offending individual of the inappropriate act/behavior, remind/highlight our guardians, visitors, or adult participants policy, and describe the time/program parameters of dis-involvement and re-engagement.  The guardians, visitors, or adult participants who fail to reasonably comply will be referred to local law enforcement and for Permanent Alteration as described below.
4. Permanent alteration: The most serious sanction—for two or more violations after receiving a warning, or after any single serious violation. Must be reported to the SDSU Vice President for Technology and Security pursuant to SDSU Policy 10:8 (Exclusion of Members of the Public) and copied to the SDSU Extension State 4-H Program Director.

These guardians, visitors, or adult participants involvement alterations do not reduce the opportunity for 4-H member participation.  (For example, if a guardian providing transportation is banned for the duration of a live event, the member remains welcome to participate and the guardian may return at the conclusion to provide transportation home.  Further or escalating violations by the guardian may result in additional sanction.)

SDSU, SDSU Extension, and South Dakota 4-H reserve the right to take necessary and appropriate action in the interest of the safety and well-being of its employees and 4-H participants, to report any criminal activity, or to pursue any lawful civil action against any individual. Additionally, they reserve the right to disclose all portions of any file that may be necessary to obtain a judgment in a court of competent jurisdiction and all such files shall be preserved at least until all necessary compensation has been obtained.

Guidelines for Altering Involvement for Guardians, Visitors, or Adult Participants Volunteers

Guardians, visitors, or adult participants 4-H volunteers recognize that they, or SDSU, may end their volunteer service at any time, with or without cause, and without advance notice. Please review SDSU Policy 4:8 (Volunteers) for more information.

For those guardians, visitors, or adult participants who have signed a volunteer work agreement, complaints made against them of prohibited discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking will be addressed under SDSU Policy 4:6 (Human Rights Complaints). The policy contains the procedure for processing and appealing such complaints, which can be submitted to the Title IX/EO Coordinator, via the ‘Report It’ portal on sdstate.edu, or to the SDSU Ombuds.

Accusations involving state property or funds and a volunteer’s embezzlement, misappropriation, destruction, removal, theft, or concealment of the property/funds, or the volunteer’s alteration or falsification of official documents, lying, or receipt of compensation for goods not received or services not performed must be reported and processed under SDSU Policy 5:7 (Fraud Policy).

In addition, violations of the Code may subject the volunteer to the sanction processes for Altering Involvement for guardians, visitors, or adult participants Non-Volunteers described above, thus impacting their ability to attend or partake in 4-H events as an observer.