The Society
protocolreportingviolation
Member Ethics


Protocol for Reporting a Violation of the Bylaw on Ethics

The Ethics Education Committee was formed in January 2005 for the purpose of responding to allegations of violations of the SVP Code of Ethics, a code which became part of the Bylaws as of 1995.

The report of a possible ethics violation should be sent in writing to the President, who will convey the information to the Ethics Education Committee (EEC). The EEC may communicate with the accuser(s) if additional information is needed, and may need to do independent research to verify it in some cases; in these instances confidentiality will be emphasized. 

The EEC will write to the accused to present the accusation, identify the accuser and request an explanation in response. Once the accused has responded to the EEC, the EEC can make a recommendation to the Executive Committee and note possible alternative courses of action.  The Executive Committee then decides upon a course of action and conveys it to the EEC and to the accused.


Criteria for Evaluating Allegations Regarding the Sale of Vertebrate Fossils

  1. Please provide the name of the SVP member who is alleged to have sold/purchased a scientifically significant vertebrate fossil to/for other than an entity that holds said fossils in public trust.
  2. Does the allegation pertain to the sale or the purchase of fossil vertebrates?
  3. Briefly describe the basis for the allegation, including when and where the incident is alleged to have occurred.  Please provide all supporting documentation — written or electronic (i.e., information on Web site).
  4. Describe the fossil vertebrate(s) in question, providing the basis for assessing them as scientifically significant.