Rights and Responsibilities

Reasonable care should be taken in dealing with suspected misconduct to avoid:

• Baseless allegations
• Premature notice to persons suspected of misconduct and/or disclosure of suspected misconduct to others not involved with the investigation
• Violations of a person’s rights under law

Because of the important yet sensitive nature of the suspected violations, effective professional follow-up is crucial. Chapter leaders, while appropriately concerned about “getting to the bottom” of such issues, should not in any circumstances perform any investigative or other follow-up steps on their own. Accordingly, a reporting person who becomes aware of suspected misconduct:

• Should not contact the person suspected to further investigate the matter or demand restitution.
• Should not discuss the case with attorneys, the media or anyone other than the Secretary or the Chair of the Board.
• Should not report the case to an authorized law enforcement officer without first discussing the case with the Secretary or the Chair of the Board.