Ethics Complaints

The IAABC upholds a high standards of professionalism. The sanction of an member or Credential holder found in violation of our Code of Ethics may range from a letter of reprimand to mandatory corrective action, suspension, or termination of membership and/or credentials.

Initiation of the Complaint

Any person is eligible to file an ethics complaint. The individual who files the form, or the "Complainant," is required to state their identity to the IAABC and may opt to remain anonymous from the alleged violator, or "Respondent."

Preliminary 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.

Respondent Notification

If the 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. 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.

Complainant Statement

After the Respondent replies, the Ethics Director may contact the Complainant for a final statement, if indicated.

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.

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.

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.