Code of Conduct Reporting Procedure

Approved by the Board on September 5, 2023

Steps for Addressing a Code of Conduct Complaint:

The Seattle Frontrunners (“the Club”) Board of Directors (“the Board”) shall each year establish a Conduct and Standards Committee (“the Committee”) of not more than five members of the Board, including the President, to review any Code of Conduct complaint. At least one member of this Conduct and Standards Committee shall not be a member of the Executive Committee of the Board.

Complaints may be brought anonymously or off-the-record, and the Board shall maintain mechanisms to permit these types of reporting. However, whenever possible, it is strongly recommended to make formal complaints in writing to allow due and proper consideration. The Board shall publish a procedure for reporting to the Seattle Frontrunners website or other public forum. Complaints of a sensitive nature shall be kept private but not confidential, on a need-to-know basis and as outlined in this policy. The Conduct and Standards Committee and the Board shall keep all matters related to a complaint, its evidence, and its review private during the entirety of the review process.

Complaints should be brought to the President of the Club or a member of the Committee. Any member of the Executive Committee or the Board that is the subject of a complaint shall recuse themself from the entirety of the review process.

The Committee and the Board shall review complaints using the following procedure:

1. When an allegation of a Code of Conduct violation is received, the President or other officer will provide notice of the accusation to the accused via email. The President shall cite the specific alleged violations of the Code of Conduct. If an email notification from the President is not acknowledged, the President will send a USPS certified letter of notice about the complaint of a violation of the Code of Conduct.  

2. Any member receiving a notice of concern about a violation of the Code of Conduct (“the accused”) may not retaliate against another member of the Club through threatening communications, use of social media to slander another member, or any other form of retaliatory contact. The Committee may suspend an accused member from attending Club events and functions while a complaint is pending review or discussing the case with other members not directly involved.

3. The accused shall have 14 calendar days to respond to or dispute the complaint. If a member fails to respond within the 14-calendar-day time period, the Board will make a determination, which may include suspension of membership for a period of time or expulsion.

4. Should the accused wish to present information in their defense, they must do so in writing and request a review of the violation of the Code of Conduct. This request shall be submitted to the President, or a member of the Committee, or their designee.

1. The Committee will schedule a teleconference to review the allegation with the accused. If the accused fails to make themselves available for a teleconference within a 14-day time frame following their request for review, the request for review will be deemed void.  
2. The Committee will review any evidence the accused may wish to submit on their behalf.  
3. A subsequent call will be scheduled to review the complaint with the accuser along with any evidence the accuser wishes to submit.  
4. Should the Board deem it necessary, they may schedule more than one teleconference with both the accused and the accuser at separate times to review facts and documentation provided by either party.  

5. Following this fact finding, teleconferences, and deliberation held by the Conduct and Standards Committee, the Committee shall issue an action recommendation, which may include but is not limited to the following:

• No action needed;
• A written warning, which may specify consequences of future violations;
• A defined probationary period with a zero-tolerance policy given to the accused;
• Suspension of membership or expulsion.

The Conduct and Standards Committee shall make every effort to make decisions on a consensus basis. However, in cases where the Committee cannot reach consensus, a majority vote of those not recused shall be sufficient to issue an action recommendation; the Committee may also forward the matter to the full Board without issuing an action recommendation. The full Board shall be informed of, and have the right to review and amend, the decisions of the Committee.

6. The action recommendation will be provided to both the accused and the accuser. If either party disagrees with the recommendation, one final teleconference may be granted within five business days only if new or additional facts need to be presented for further consideration. Following the teleconference, any party may direct the matter to the full Board, who shall review the evidence available alongside the action recommendation of the Conduct and Standards Committee, and will issue a final and binding decision.

7. The Board will record the Committee’s recommended action and the final and binding decision in the minutes to finalize the process. If the decision is expulsion, the member must immediately cease all involvement in the Club. If the decision is probation, the Club will outline requirements for compliance to remain in good standing with the Club.

5. The requirements of this policy shall not be construed to violate the privacy of individuals who have made claims of sexual assault or other issues of a sensitive nature. In such cases, the Board is authorized to maintain the anonymity of accusers.
6. Members of the Committee and the Board shall not discuss ongoing claims or investigations with Club members except in the furtherance of that work.
7. Accusations that result in no action, are found inconclusive or are rejected by the Committee or the Board shall not be included in the Board’s public minutes. The officers of the Board shall retain the right to maintain information in private Club files not accessible to general membership.

8. If a suspended or expelled member continues to attend Club functions, local law enforcement will be alerted.

9. This policy shall be fully in effect upon approval by the Board of Directors. For complaints related to incidents alleged to have taken place on or before that date, the Committee and the Board shall take into consideration the requirements and policies of the Revised Code of Washington, but may otherwise use discretion in its adjudication, recognizing that the Code of Conduct was not in force at that time.