Dear GNOME Foundation and community members,
This post is an update on the status of Sonny Piers as a member of the GNOME project, from the GNOME Foundation Board of Directors. The Board is providing this information to clarify the decisions made in this case, and to eliminate any uncertainty within the GNOME community about the matter. We are making this post now in order to provide details of these decisions which will come into effect later this month.
Last year, in July 2024, the Board announced that Sonny had been removed as a member of the Board of Directors, and that he had been indefinitely suspended from participation in the GNOME project. The removal from the Board and the project suspension were separate decisions, made with different criteria. The Board removal was based on the responsibilities and expectations for directors, which are standard for any non-profit corporation like the GNOME Foundation. The suspension from the project was decided as an outcome of GNOME’s code of conduct process.
In October 2024, the Board further considered all the details related to the case and reached two final conclusions. First, the Board voted to rescind Sonny’s indefinite suspension from the GNOME project. It also decided to leave a one year project suspension in effect. This one year suspension is due to end on 18th July 2025, after which date Sonny will be able to participate in the GNOME project once again as a community member and contributor.
Second, the Board also voted that Sonny will not be eligible for appointment in any position of authority within the Foundation, or to act as an agent on behalf of the organization, or to have paid work with the GNOME Foundation. This means that he will be unable to be a committee member, director, officer, staff member or contractor, or officially represent the GNOME Foundation to other entities. The Board resolution put these restrictions in place on an indefinite basis.
Information about these decisions was shared with affected members of the community at the time. The Board recently reviewed and upheld these decisions during its June 2025 meeting and is now sharing the information more widely, so that the GNOME community is informed prior to Sonny’s suspension coming to an end.
In addition to the decisions described above, the Board has also been working to ensure that this type of situation does not happen again in the future. As part of this work, the Board has introduced new policies for Board Responsibilities, and Board Ethical Conduct. We now require new directors to read and sign these prior to joining the Board.
The Board appreciates that this matter has been a very difficult one for the GNOME community, and takes both the matter itself and its wider impact very seriously. Given the sensitive nature of this topic, we ask that everyone treats it with care and consideration.
Kind Regards,
Rob
President, GNOME Foundation
On behalf of the Board of Directors