My organization removed a member by vote according to our bylaws because of her ongoing toxic behavior. We notified her of our plan to do so, giving her a chance to resign, but she declined and insisted that even if we remove her, she will still attend our meetings and events. Are we able to bar her from attending? Her presence and commentary has prevented our organization from moving forward and scared away potential participants.
You can bar anyone you want from your meetings and events as long as you are not a public accommodation and discriminating against someone because of their status in a protected class. Last time I looked, a “toxic” person was not protected.
If you have to take further action, you will want to be absolutely sure that your removal process was in keeping with the provisions of your bylaws and your state law. It may be difficult to keep her away and you will obviously want to warn her of your intent to see if you can avoid a messy scene and bad publicity. You may want to be prepared to show her the unflattering but non-defamatory statement you are prepared to release if your actions are questioned. Hopefully you will be able to convince her it is in her best interest to stay away and won’t have to hire a burly bouncer to accomplish the task.
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