Complaints of Ethical Misconduct
The IAABC prides itself on the quality and conduct of its members and credential holders as well as its dedication to holding them to high standards of professionalism. In order to protect the general public, the reputation of our membership and credentials, and the organization, the IAABC accepts complaints against current and former IAABC members and credential holders.
Anyone who is found in violation of the Code of Ethics may be subject to sanctions. Depending on the severity of the violation, the sanctions may range from a letter of reprimand to mandatory corrective action, suspension, or termination of membership and/or credentials.
Conduct During the Complaint Process
If you are notified of a complaint against you, please remember that participation in the process is a requirement of membership and credentialing. We are required to process all complaints received; nobody is exempt based on their status in the industry, service to the IAABC, or any other factor. In addition, we expect you to conduct yourself according to professional standards of courtesy. Poor treatment of the Ethics Director including abusive language or personal attacks is wholly unacceptable and may be presented as a secondary violation.Appeals
If a respondent does not agree with the outcome of the complaint, they may file an appeal and have the case re-evaluated by a Hearing Panel. This process is time-sensitive and no further appeals are available.Initiation of the Complaint
The process begins with formal filing of an ethics complaint through the online form. Any person is eligible to file an ethics complaint. The form is used both for external reports as well as by IAABC staff to begin an internal member disciplinary process.
The individual who files the form, or the "Complainant," is required to state their identity to the IAABC. They may opt to remain anonymous from the alleged violator, or "Respondent." However, in some cases the complaint may be weaker if identifying information is excluded. This is because all Respondents have the right to defend themselves and because the IAABC holds high evidentiary standards in order to protect our members and credential holders from misuse of the complaint process.
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Preliminary Complaint Review
After the complaint is filed, a Complaint Review Panel is formed from Ethics Team members to determine if the complaint will be pursued. At any time in the process, the Complaint Review Panel may also decide that further investigation is needed and choose to proceed as such, for example, conducting web searches or interviewing witnesses.
The preliminary decision is made based on analyzing factors including the strength of the evidence, the complainant's involvement in and familiarity with the situation, and the complainant's argument for how the situation posed a violation of the stated section of the Code of Ethics.
If this assessment does not indicate a potential violation, the Ethics Director will contact the Complainant to let them know the complaint is closed.
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Respondent Notification
If this assessment indicates a potential violation, the Ethics Director next contacts the Respondent with the complaint, the evidence, and the opportunity to answer questions or offer a rebuttal.
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Complainant Statement
After the Respondent replies, the Ethics Director may contact the Complainant for a final statement, if indicated.
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Final Determination
In the last step, the Complaint Review Panel convenes for a final determination. During this meeting, the Complaint Review Panel will decide if a violation occurred and if so, what the consequences will be.
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Executive Approval
The final determination is then approved by the Executive Director of the IAABC or returned to the CRP for reconsideration, resubmission to the Executive Director, and approval.