Lighthouse uses a structured discipline system to respond to violations of community standards. This chapter describes what the system is, how it works, and what options are available to a member who is subject to disciplinary action. This is the policy — the standards and commitments we make about how discipline will be handled. For how staff operate the technical tools, see the Staff Handbook.

What Is the Brig?

The "Brig" is Lighthouse's term for a temporary or permanent restriction of a member's community access. A member who has been placed in the Brig retains their account but has reduced access to community features — they can still view public pages but cannot participate in certain community activities.

The Brig is not a punishment designed for humiliation. It is a tool for protecting the community while allowing for the possibility of restoration.

Types of Brig Status

Temporary confinement — a member is placed in the Brig for a set period of time, after which they are automatically restored to full membership standing. The duration is determined by the severity of the behavior and the member's history.

Permanent confinement — a member is placed in the Brig indefinitely with no automatic release. This is reserved for severe violations or situations where repeated attempts at correction have failed. A permanently confined member may appeal, but release is not guaranteed.

When the Brig Is Used

The Brig may be used in response to:

• Serious violations of the Code of Conduct (harassment, threatening behavior, sexual content)
• Repeated minor violations that have not stopped despite prior warnings
• Behavior that is harmful to other members or to the community as a whole
• Situations where immediate restriction is necessary to protect members while an investigation is ongoing

The decision to place a member in the Brig is made by authorized staff (typically Command or senior Quartermaster staff) based on a review of the evidence and context.

How Brig Duration Is Determined

For temporary confinement, staff consider:

• Severity — how serious was the violation? A one-time profanity incident is treated differently than targeted harassment.
• History — has the member been warned or disciplined before? Repeated violations result in longer or more serious consequences.
• Context — was there provocation, misunderstanding, or extenuating circumstances?
• Willingness to acknowledge — has the member taken responsibility for their behavior?

There is no fixed formula. Staff apply their judgment within the guidelines set by this policy and community leadership.

How Members Are Notified

When a member is placed in the Brig:

• They receive a notification on the Lighthouse website explaining their current status.
• They are informed of the reason for the action.
• If applicable, they are told the duration of the restriction and when it will end.

Lighthouse does not publicly announce disciplinary actions taken against individual members.

The Appeal Process

For a member to be let out of The Brig and reinstated to their normal access to the community they must submit an appeal to the staff. An appeal is a formal request for Command to review the situation and decide to let the user return to the community.

When can a member appeal? Any member who has been placed in the Brig may submit an appeal once their cooldown has expired. Only one appeal can be made per week.

How to submit an appeal: A user who has been placed in The Brig will see an Appeal button on the Dashboard once any cooldown timer on their account has expired. This button will launch the Appeal window, allowing you to make your case for why you should be let back into the community. Include:

• An acknowledgement of the actions that got the user placed in the brig
• Some type of apology or assurance that this behavior will not be repeated
• Why the user wishes to return to the community.

What happens during review: Command will review the original decision, the evidence, and your appeal. They may ask follow-up questions. You will receive a response with the outcome of the review.

What happens if the appeal is denied: If an appeal is denied, the user remains in The Brig. A member may submit one additional appeal if new information comes to light, but repeat appeals of the same decision without new information will not be reviewed. A new appeal may be made 7 days after the previous appeal was started.

Appeals and conduct: Submitting an appeal in good faith is always acceptable. However, if a member uses the appeal process to harass staff or to make threats, the appeal will be dismissed and additional discipline may be considered.

Removal from the Community

In the most serious cases, a member may be removed from the Lighthouse community entirely — meaning their account is placed in a permanent Brig status and they are no longer welcome to participate. This is reserved for:

• Behavior that poses a safety risk to other members (especially minors)
• Violations that are illegal in nature
• Situations where a member has demonstrated that they will not abide by community standards despite multiple interventions

Removal from the community is a decision made by Command.