Office of General Counsel - Ethics Policy

How to Report an Ethics Complaint

Seattle Public Schools offers two ways to report complaints about suspected misconduct. First, you may contact the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission (SEEC), an outside agency with a 30-year history of conducting independent, rigorous and fair investigations of wrongdoing. SEEC staff will investigate alleged violations of the Ethics Policy, and can talk to you about how best to lodge complaints about misconduct that doesn’t fall under one of these policies.

You can file a complaint using the Ethics Complaint Form, or by contacting the SEEC by any of the following means:
Report By Email: chris.thomas@seattle.gov
Report By Mail: P.O Box 94729, Seattle, WA 98142-4729
Report By Fax: (206) 684-8590
During Business Hours Call: (206) 615-0091



Both SPS staff and the SEEC will accept anonymous complaints.

Seattle Public Schools Ethics Policy

The Seattle Public Schools is committed to ensuring full compliance by all of its employees with the Ethics Policy and related state laws. To help ensure compliance, the SEEC Director has been appointed to also serve as the District Ethics Officer. The role of the Ethics Officer is to:

• Provide training and education to make employees aware of the requirements of the Ethics Policy;
• Advise District employees about the application of the Ethics Policy to particular situations as they arise; and
• Accept and investigate complaints regarding possible violations of the Ethics Policy

Ethics Policy

The Ethics Policy and state laws govern the conduct of Seattle Public Schools employees. The Ethics Policy cover the following general categories:

• Conflicts of Interest
• Limits on Acceptance of Gifts
• Limits on Outside Employment and Compensation
• Limits on Financial Interest in District Transactions
• Limits on Personal Use of District Resources
• Disclosure of Confidential Information

A link to the Policy is included in the Additional Links section. Employees may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment for violating the Ethics Policy.

Training and Advice for Employees

The SEEC is available to provide advice to employees about the Ethics Policy. Employees are encouraged to review the policy and consult the SEEC to address any questions or to obtain guidance on how the Policy applies in a particular situation. For advice, please contact the SEEC at (206) 684-8500 or ethicsandelections@seattle.gov

Complaints

The SEEC will review and investigate alleged violations of the Ethics Policy.   Please note, though, that not all concerns about employee misconduct are grounds for an Ethics Complaint. Before filing a complaint, please review the Seattle Public Schools Ethics Policy to learn whether the conduct at issue is a possible violation of the Ethics  Policy. Other types of employee misconduct should be brought to the attention of the employee’s supervisor or to the Customer Service Department in accordance with the Complaints Concerning Staff Or Programs (Policy No. 4220). 
If you’re not sure whether the conduct that concerns you would violate the Ethics Policy, SEEC staff would be happy to help you make that determination.