Policy for Rescinding a Golden Heart or Diamond Heart Award After Presentation

Policy Statement

This policy provides guidelines for the unlikely and exceptional circumstance in which a Romance Writers of America (RWA) Golden Heart or Diamond Heart Award must be rescinded after it has been presented. This policy aims to ensure a fair and transparent process, maintaining the integrity of the award and the dignity of all involved parties.

Scope

This policy applies to all recipients of the Golden Heart and Diamond Heart Awards, the contest committee, the RWA Board, DEIA Committee, and any other parties involved in the award process.

Criteria for Rescinding an Award

An award may be considered for rescindment if:

  1. The awarded work is subsequently found to contain content that is significantly objectionable, offensive, or culturally insensitive, which was not identified during the review process.
  2. The author of the awarded work is found to have acted in a manner that substantially contradicts the values of the RWA, such as by promoting hate speech, discrimination, or other forms of harmful behavior in the work. 
  3. It is discovered that there was a significant error or bias in the judging process, or violation of the rules and regulations of the awards.

Rescinding Process1

Investigation

Upon receiving credible information2 that may warrant rescindment, an investigation should be conducted by the RWA Contest Committee. The same procedure for evaluating potentially problematic material described in the Policy for Reviewing Potentially Problematic Content will be followed.

Communication with the Award Recipient

If the investigation validates the concerns, the author or their representative should be notified and given an opportunity to appeal the decision. The same process for handling appeals described in the Policy for Reviewing Potentially Problematic Content will be followed.

Decision Making

After thorough consideration of the investigation results and the author’s response, if applicable, the appeals committee should make a final determination on whether to rescind the award by a closed ballot 2/3rds majority vote. This decision should be fair, unbiased, and based on the principles and values of the RWA. 

Notification of Rescindment

If the decision to rescind the award is made, the author or their representative should be notified in writing of the final outcome. The reasons for rescindment should be clearly stated.

Policy Compliance

All members involved in the Golden Heart and Diamond Heart Awards process must comply with this policy. Non-compliance may result in removal from the committee or other consequences as deemed appropriate by the RWA governing body.

This policy is to be used exceptionally and with great discretion, to maintain the prestige and integrity of the Golden Heart and Diamond Heart Awards while upholding the values and reputation of the Romance Writers of America.

1The rescinding process must be completed within 12 months after the announcement of the award.

2“Credible Information” is defined as data, assertions, documents, or witness testimonies that are fact-based, verifiable, and reliable, coming from reputable and trustworthy sources. The information should possess enough substantiality to establish a reasonable belief that an award recipient may have violated the values, principles, or rules established by the Romance Writers of America.

This may include, but is not limited to:

  1. Authenticated documents or verified digital content indicating a potential breach of RWA values or rules.

  2. Statements from reliable witnesses or parties directly involved in the incident.

  3. A demonstrated pattern of problematic behavior substantiated by trustworthy sources.

  4. Information that has been validated or reported by reputable media or institutions.

It should be noted that rumors, unsupported accusations, or information from unverifiable or anonymous sources generally do not constitute credible information. The Contest Committee will apply their professional judgment to assess the credibility of the information provided, with the overarching aim to ensure fairness, integrity, and equity in the Golden Heart and Diamond Heart Awards.