Whistleblower

Whistleblower

The Seymour Library District (“District”) shall investigate any suspected fraudulent or dishonest use or misuse of the Library’s resources or property.

Definitions

Fraudulent or Dishonest Conduct:

  • Action or failure to act with the intention of obtaining an unauthorized benefit, including, but not limited to:
  • Forgery or alteration of documents
  • Unauthorized alteration or manipulation of files
  • Fraudulent financial reporting
  • Misappropropriation or misuse of resources, such as funds, supplies, or other assets
  • Authorizing or receiving compensation for goods not received or services not performed
  • Authorizing or receiving compensation for hours not worked
  • Theft at point of sale

Whistleblower:

A Library employee, consultant, volunteer, or member of the Library District Board of Trustees, or an employee, consultant, or member of the Seymour Library Foundation Board of Directors, who informs the District through the process described below, of an activity relating to the District that the person believes to be fraudulent or dishonest.

Reporting

Any concern about actual or potential fraudulent or dishonest conduct shall be reported either to the President of the Seymour Library District or to the Library Director. A person reporting a concern may request anonymity, but where a concern is reported anonymously, it must be reported in writing.  Any person reporting, receiving or knowing of a report shall take reasonable care to avoid:

  • Baseless allegations
  • Premature notice to persons suspected of misconduct and/or disclosure of suspected misconduct to others not involved with the investigation
  • Violations of a person’s legal rights

Investigation

Upon receiving a report of actual or potential fraudulent or dishonest conduct, the Seymour Library District Board of Trustees shall review and analyze the report, and shall document the receipt, retention, investigation, and outcome of the report. The District Board shall take appropriate corrective action, if necessary, and shall communicate its conclusion to the reporting person. At its discretion, the District Board may include investigation by independent persons such as, but not limited to, auditors and/or attorneys.

Whistleblower Protection

Seymour Library District shall use its best efforts to protect whistleblowers against retaliation. Whistleblowing reports shall be handled with sensitivity, discretion, and confidentiality to the extent allowed by the circumstances and the law. Generally, this means that Whistleblower reports will be shared only with those who have a need to know in order for the Library to conduct an effective investigation and determine what action to take, and in appropriate cases, to cooperate with law enforcement personnel.
Neither the Library nor any District Board Member nor any employee, consultant or volunteer, may retaliate against a whistleblower for a report of fraudulent or dishonest conduct. Prohibited retaliation includes, but is not limited to, threats of physical harm, loss of job, punitive work assignments, or impact on salary or fees. Whistleblowers who believe that they have been retaliated against may file a written report with the President of the Board. The District Board of Trustees shall promptly investigate any report of retaliation, and take any appropriate corrective measures.

Approved January 23, 2018