NSS Code of Conduct Guide for Grottos & Other Internal Organizations

This guide is intended to help grottos address Code of Conduct issues at the local level

Code of Conduct Page

The NSS Code of Conduct sets clear expectations for behavior and provides a fair, consistent process to address conduct that impacts the NSS membership community. Because grottos have direct local context, many incidents, particularly those occurring at grotto-only events, are best handled locally, within and by the grotto, and may not involve the NSS and NSS activities.

For this reason, grottos are required to maintain their own Code of Conduct or formally adopt the NSS Code of Conduct in order to maintain NSS affiliation. Keeping these policies current and having a clear, defined process for responding to incidents is one of the most important ways a grotto can protect its members.

Local Grotto Incident Handling

Generally, if the scope of the incident, behavior, or action is local, occurring at only grotto meetings, trips, or events, then response belongs at the grotto or local level.

  1. The scope does not extend to regional or national events. 
  2. There is no local conflict of interest. 
  3. An incident has lower severity, in that the behavior was isolated or of low-impact. The chances of further impact to the community is low.

National NSS Incident Handling

For cases where grottos believe an incident should be handled nationally, then they must refer it to the NSS Code of Conduct Team by using the Incident Submission form. 

The Incident Submissions are forwarded to NSS General Counsel. All submissions and their investigations are under the direct control of the General Counsel for the Society and are attorney-client privileged.

Generally, national-level action is needed to prevent further harm to the community that extends beyond a single grotto, for instance:

  1. Incidents intersect national events, communications channels, and volunteer roles. 
  2. Issues intersect multiple grottos or show a pattern of behavior across grottos regionally. 
  3. Local leadership has conflicts of interest or otherwise cannot be impartial.
  4. Conduct significantly impacts community functions, whereby an incident has medium to high severity, or requires an urgent response, because of involving intimidation, retaliation, harassment, or discrimination, or posing an immediate risk in the safety or integrity of the community. Such incidents may have been repeated or there may have been a history of behavior. There is a reasonable likelihood of behavior continuing or escalating impact if not addressed. 

The NSS’s Code of Conduct Team is not a court of law. The NSS and the Code of Conduct Team cannot replace Law Enforcement and do not determine fact or culpability. The NSS will not conduct its own investigation beyond the information they are given or unless otherwise publicly available.

Creating a Grotto Code of Conduct

Grottos may adopt the NSS Code of Conduct as their local policy by formally approving it through their governing body. At a minimum, grottos should describe how members can report Code of Conduct violations and the process for incident review and resolution. Grottos may also modify or supplement the NSS Code of Conduct to reflect local needs or activities. These are resources to review and distribute to grotto members, at least annually, to help encourage a positive environment.

The NSS Code of Conduct Team and the Internal Organizations Department can answer questions that grottos may have about their Code of Conduct policy. Note that the NSS cannot provide legal advice, or provide advice specific to an internal Code of Conduct review. 

If a grotto does not have a Code of Conduct policy in place when an incident occurs, then that does not prevent the grotto from taking action, or even relieving their leadership of its responsibility, to protect the community. Grotto Bylaws may provide guidance on appropriate actions, and where they do not, parliamentary procedures such as Robert’s Rules of Order may apply.

Handling of Code of Conduct Incidents Locally

A grotto’s primary goal in handling Code of Conduct incidents is to protect its local membership community by preventing further harm and maintaining a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment. A grotto should use a good faith determination of impact to the community based on a preponderance of available information. It is not a legal process and is not intended to replace law enforcement, mediate, or punish. Responses should focus on preventing future harm to the membership community. 

Potential Disciplinary Actions at the Grotto Level

How the Grotto responds to an incident will depend on the severity. Responses are not limited to those listed below; however, these represent standard actions in ascending order of severity. Multiple responses may be applied where appropriate.

  • No Action.
  • Explanation of expected behavior to primary parties.
    1. For minor Incidents or when an Incident’s information is uncertain, a Grotto Board member or Officer should contact the Respondent to explain what was considered to be unacceptable behavior and why, and to explain what is expected behavior and community standards. 
    2. These conversations are intended to promote a welcoming environment without assigning blame and to prevent a pattern of unacceptable behavior and future potential harm. 
    3. Respondents should acknowledge their understanding of the expectations communicated. A lack of engagement or refusal to participate in such discussions may be considered Code of Conduct violations or in future reviews.
    4. The Respondent should confirm their understanding of the information.
  • Suspension from attending Grotto events or volunteering.
    1. Details about suspensions should be clarified in the Grotto’s Bylaws or Code of Conduct policy. For instance, suspensions can be voted on by the governing board or leaders of the grotto and/or voted on by the grotto membership.
    2. Suspensions may be temporary or indefinite. The duration should be recorded somewhere in the Grotto’s records for future reference.
  • Suspension of Grotto Membership
    1. Details about suspensions should be clarified in the Grotto’s Bylaws or Code of Conduct policy. For instance, suspensions can be voted on by the governing board or leaders of the grotto and/or voted on by the grotto membership.
    2. Suspensions may be temporary or indefinite. The duration should be recorded somewhere in the Grotto’s records for future reference.

Potential Disciplinary Actions Beyond the Grotto by the NSS

Incidents that are referred to the NSS Code of Conduct Team by using the Incident Submission form, and that have greater severity because of their impact beyond the grotto and/or regional grotto and to the NSS membership community at-large, can have more severe disciplinary actions, in addition to those listed above. 

This is because the NSS does not have authority over conduct outside of the NSS’s programs, events, or activities, including interactions within other organizations like grottos. Incident reviews will only focus on how conduct impacts (or has impacted) the NSS membership community based on the Incident Submission form. 

Depending on the outcome from an Incident review at the National level, the NSS Code of Conduct Team and Executive Director will determine whether notifications are needed and coordinate the effort. The NSS will typically only notify the Complainant(s) and the Respondent(s) of the conclusion of a review and any actions taken. The NSS will generally not notify broader membership. 

Also, in most cases, the NSS will not communicate its decisions or actions to outside organizations, as the NSS does not have authority over conduct outside of the NSS’s programs, events, or activities, including interactions within other organizations like grottos. However, actions against members may need to be shared on a need-to-know basis, such as with NSS volunteers, event staff, front office staff, the NSS Board of Governors, or grotto leaders, as appropriate.

The following NSS-level sanctions are possible:

  • Suspension from attending NSS Events or Volunteering.
    1. This sanction requires a Board of Governors’ vote. 
    2. The suspension may be temporary or indefinite, and the duration will be documented in the Final Report.
    3. Grotto leadership may or may not be informed of NSS-level actions taken against a member following the outcome of the Incident review.
    4. The NSS membership database will be updated to reflect this action.
  • Removal of an NSS member’s Good Standing, including revoking awards, fellowship status, etc.
    1. This sanction requires a Board of Governors’ vote. 
    2. This sanction may impact an individual’s ability to vote in NSS elections, hold certain volunteer or paid positions, or run for the NSS Board of Governors. 
    3. This sanction may impact a member’s grotto-level status, if referenced in a grotto’s bylaws. Therefore, grotto leadership may be informed of NSS-level actions taken against a member.
    4. The NSS membership database will be updated to reflect this action.
  • Suspension or removal of an individual's NSS Membership.
    1. This sanction requires a Board of Governors’ vote. 
    2. This action may be for a fixed term or indefinite and results in the loss of all NSS membership privileges, including participation in NSS activities and access to member benefits. This includes interacting with or being involved with NSS online activities, social media, etc.
    3. This sanction may impact a member’s grotto-level status, if referenced in a grotto’s bylaws. Therefore, grotto leadership may be informed of NSS-level actions taken against a member.
    4. The NSS membership database will be updated to reflect this action.

NSS Membership in Good Standing

To facilitate not repeating Code of Conduct investigations, the NSS has implemented “Good Standing” as a membership criterion. Grottos and other IOs may write into their governing documents that describe how membership and participation in grotto activities require that a member be in “Good Standing” of the NSS in order to have certain privileges as a grotto member. 

For example, if a grotto’s Bylaws state that individuals who are not NSS members in “Good Standing” may also not attend grotto events or vote in elections, then an NSS decision to revoke an individual’s “Good Standing” automatically triggers those Bylaw provisions of a grotto. In such cases, the grotto does not need to conduct a separate investigation for those Bylaws-based restrictions to take effect.

Glossary of Code of Conduct Terms

Code of Conduct Incident Submission

A formal NSS Code of Conduct Incident submission, done through conduct.caves.org, that initiates an Incident Review by the NSS Code of Conduct Investigative Team.

Complainant

The individual who submits a Code of Conduct Incident report to the NSS.

Incident Review

The good-faith process conducted by the NSS Code of Conduct Team to assess an Incident Submission at conduct.caves.org.

NSS Incident Response

The actions, recommendations, or outcomes determined by the NSS in response to an Incident Review. These are intended to protect the community and prevent future harm.

Primary Investigator

The Code of Conduct Team member assigned to coordinate the Incident Review, including information gathering, communication with involved parties, documentation, and preparation of the final report.

Respondent

The individual(s) identified in a Code of Conduct Incident Submission as having potentially violated the NSS Code of Conduct.

Supporting Witness

An individual who provides relevant information related to an Incident Submission but is not the Complainant or Respondent.