Skip to main content

Whistleblower Policy 424.08

Whistleblower Policy 424.08
Johnson County Community College
Series: 400 Personnel
Section: Employee Complaints and Discipline

Applicability: This Policy applies to all Johnson County Community College (“JCCC” or the “College”) personnel.

Purpose: The purpose of this Policy is to provide an avenue for any member of the  campus community, including all students, personnel, and visitors, to make a good-faith report or whistleblower complaint of suspected unethical conduct, violations of the law or infractions of College policies, operating procedures or workplace rules by College personnel. This Policy establishes the appropriate reporting mechanism to be used for notification of known or suspected wrongful conduct and provides for protection from retaliation for making a good-faith report under this Policy.

Statement:

Reporting

College personnel must comply with all applicable state and federal laws, as well as College policies and operating procedures. Neither personnel nor students may be compelled by a College supervisor or a College official to violate a law or College policy or operating procedure.  Members of the campus community, who have knowledge of specific acts which they reasonably believe violate the law or College policy or operating procedure may report those acts through the JCCC Ethics Report Line. Reporters may include contact information or remain anonymous when making reports directly to the JCCC Ethics Report Line.

Reports may also be made to a director over Human Resources or a director over Audit and Advisory Services, and the director will enter the report into the JCCC Ethics Report Line for review.

Reports and investigations will be kept confidential to the extent possible under law and consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation and take corrective action. JCCC Ethics Report Line reports will be routed internally so they may be promptly and thoroughly investigated to the extent possible based on the information submitted by the reporter.

Examples of Suspected Wrongful Conduct

The following examples are provided to illustrate potential categories of wrongful conduct covered by this Policy. Such examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Theft, fraud or similar inappropriate use of College or JCCC Foundation resources and assets, federal financial aid funds, grant funds, or scholarships
  • Falsification of contracts, reports or records
  • Improper supplier, vendor or contractor activity
  • Intentional misreporting of financial transactions
  • Malicious use of a College technology resource

Retaliation

The College is committed to providing an environment of integrity that encourages individuals to disclose violations of state and federal laws or College policies or operating procedures to the College while protecting  individuals who make a good-faith disclosure of such suspected wrongful conduct occurring at the College from reprisal.

No individual shall retaliate against another individual for reporting, or causing to be reported, suspected wrongful conduct, or for assisting in an authorized investigation of alleged wrongful conduct. Retaliation, if confirmed, will result in disciplinary action in accordance with applicable College policies.

Retaliation includes any action that may have a materially adverse impact on the educational environment or terms or conditions of employment including, but not limited to, increasing discipline, demotion, changes in pay or hours, lowering grades, or material changes in job duties or functions, if such action (whether actual or threatened) is because of the individual's filing of or participation in the review of a complaint under this Policy, whether or not such complaint is determined to be valid.

Any person believing that retaliation has taken or is taking place should immediately report the matter to a director over Human Resources or a director over Audit and Advisory Services or file a report through the JCCC Ethics Report Line.

False or Malicious Reporting

It shall be considered a violation of College policy for any individual to knowingly file a false or malicious whistleblower complaint. It shall also be considered a violation of College policy for an individual to knowingly make false accusations or provide false information during a whistleblower complaint investigation. An individual who is determined to have knowingly participated in such false or malicious conduct may be subject to disciplinary or other appropriate action.

Date of Adoption: 03/17/2010
Revised: 09/21/2017, 11/18/2021