Addressing Allegations of Unethical Behavior

Addressing Allegations of Unethical Behavior

Congregation Rodef Sholom Code of Ethics will be made available to all congregants, staff, and clergy. Visitors and guests will be able to see the Code, on request, from the Congregation Rodef Sholom main office. The Code also will be published on the Congregation Rodef Sholom website. The Code will be updated as appropriate. Examples contained in the Code are not all-inclusive. 

The following procedures delineate how allegations of unethical behavior based on the Congregation Rodef Sholom Code of Ethics will be addressed. 

• The Board President will appoint a congregant to chair an Ethics Committee for receiving and addressing allegations of unethical behavior and/or violations of the Code. The President may self-appoint.
• The President will also select additional Ethics Committee members based on the following qualities: integrity, leadership, independence, and ability to handle challenging situations. 
• The President shall choose the chair and members of the Ethics Committee from among current Executive Committee members, Board members and Past Presidents.  Members of the Ethics Committee must recuse themselves if an allegation pertains to them in any way. If the chair of the Ethics Committee must recuse, then the Board President will select someone to serve in their place.  The President will be an ex-officio member of the Ethics Committee.  The Executive Director and a member of the clergy will sit on the Ethics Committee in an advisory role.
• An allegation of unethical behavior, oral or in writing, should be directed to the Board President, Rabbi, Executive Director or Ethics Committee chair. In order to initiate an Ethics Committee process, the person who received the allegation will share the information with the other three. If the allegation pertains to any one of the four, that person must recuse themself.
• If an allegation of unethical behavior pertains to a member of a professional organization with its own code of ethics such as the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), American Conference of Cantors (ACC), Association of Reform Jewish Educators (ARJE), National Association for Temple Administration (NATA), or Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), the Ethics Committee will determine whether to handle the allegation or refer it to the appropriate organization. 
• When an allegation of unethical behavior is made to the Ethics Committee chair, the Chair will decide with the Board President whether they should consult independent legal counsel representing the synagogue.
• Where an allegation raises the possibility of imminent and substantial harm to the person(s) of concern, legal obligations will take precedence and supersede any procedures otherwise delineated by this Code.
• The Ethics Committee will decide on a process that includes information gathering, deliberation, and resolution based on the particularities of each allegation that is received. All efforts will be made to resolve matters as promptly as possible.
• Everyone involved in an Ethics Committee process is expected to comply with all Ethics Committee requests to assist in information gathering. All steps, from an initial allegation of unethical conduct to ultimate resolution, will be documented in writing by the Ethics Committee.
• Confidentiality will be maintained throughout any Ethics Committee process to the extent practicable and consistent with thorough assessment and restoration of the matter.
• All attempts will be made to protect those who make an allegation of unethical behavior from retaliation. Retaliation itself is an ethical breach.
• Ethics Committee processes will balance the Jewish principles of judgment (din) and compassion (rachamim). All allegations will be responded to with sensitivity and compassion. Judgment will be withheld pending completion of a full evaluation. During information gathering and/or consideration of a resolution for an ethics violation, the committee shall bear in mind that, as a sacred community, healing and reconciliation are important goals.
• In circumstances of investigation of and/or consideration of a remedy for an ethics violation, the Ethics Committee will be mindful that the congregation is a sacred community. Full consideration should be given to the goals of healing and reconciliation in determining how to proceed and what actions should be taken. This suggestion is not intended to minimize the importance or the consequence of violating this code. Rather, given the broad range of possible code violations, responses to such behavior should be proportional and sensitive to the fact that these are circumstances in which congregants are dealing with fellow synagogue partners.
• While there is no time limit to making an allegation of unethical behavior, the time that has elapsed since the alleged violation will be considered by the Ethics Committee. 
• The current Ethics Committee Chair is Josh Davis.