Legal Definitions - condone

To condone means to implicitly or explicitly accept, overlook, or forgive a wrongful or inappropriate action, thereby suggesting that the behavior is acceptable or tolerable. When someone condones an act, they are aware of it but choose not to intervene, object, or impose consequences, which can be interpreted as tacit approval or a lack of disapproval.

• Workplace Harassment Policy
  A company has a strict anti-harassment policy. However, when multiple employees report a senior executive for making inappropriate jokes and comments, the human resources department conducts a perfunctory investigation and takes no disciplinary action, allowing the behavior to continue. By failing to enforce its own policy and take meaningful action against the executive, the company's human resources department effectively condones the executive's inappropriate behavior. Their inaction signals to other employees that such conduct, despite being against policy, will be tolerated, making it appear acceptable within the organization.

• Sports Team Misconduct
  A professional sports team's coach is aware that a star player is frequently breaking team rules, such as missing practice and violating curfew, but never benches the player or imposes any penalties because of the player's performance on the field. The coach's decision to repeatedly overlook the player's rule violations, despite being fully aware of them, demonstrates that the coach condones the misconduct. By not enforcing the team's rules, the coach implicitly communicates that the star player's actions are acceptable, potentially undermining team discipline and morale.

• Community Association Rules
  A homeowner's association (HOA) has clear rules against residents parking recreational vehicles (RVs) in their driveways. For months, one resident has an RV parked in their driveway, and despite numerous complaints from neighbors, the HOA board takes no action to enforce the rule. The HOA board's consistent failure to enforce its own parking regulations, despite being aware of the violation and receiving complaints, means they are condoning the resident's breach of the rules. Their inaction makes it appear as though the rule against RV parking is not truly enforced or is acceptable to violate, potentially setting a precedent for other residents.