USA Rugby Policies
The USA Rugby Whistleblower Policy (the Policy) is intended to support a strong culture of integrity and ethical conduct at USA Rugby by encouraging, valuing, and protecting good faith reporting of concerns involving USA Rugby and those affiliated with USA Rugby. The Policy covers good faith reporting of concerns of all kinds related to USA Rugby and includes anti-retaliation protections for those who report in good faith and/or cooperate with an investigation of such reports, like witnesses and victims.
Every person—including athletes, employees, contractors, board members and officers, members, committee members, task force members, hearing panel members, volunteers, and others affiliated with USA Rugby—has the right to report concerns and alleged violations in a way that is comfortable for them and cooperate in any investigations that follow without fear of retaliation for reporting or speaking to USA Rugby, World Rugby, the USOPC, the U.S. Center for SafeSport, the Office of the Athlete Ombuds, any law enforcement agency or government entity, or employees of these organizations about USA Rugby.
The Policy covers reporting of any alleged violation of applicable law, policy, or procedures as well as potential ethical misconduct. Examples of alleged violations that may be reported under the Policy include, but are not limited to:
- Non-compliance with the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act
- Non-compliance with applicable provisions of the USOPC Bylaws or policies
- Non-compliance with USA Rugby’s Bylaws, policies, or procedures
- Non-compliance with applicable Federal or State laws
- Non-compliance with accepted accounting or financial practices (e.g., fraud)
Under USA Rugby policy, there are some violations that must be reported, specifically including:
- Any violations of local, state, or federal law;
- Any violations of applicable athlete safety policies, including those of USA Rugby and the U.S. Center for SafeSport;
- Any violation of the USA Rugby Integrity Policy or World Rugby Regulation 6; and
- Any Anti-doping violations.
Note that nothing in this Policy changes or replaces any mandatory reporting obligations under the SafeSport Code for the Olympic and Paralympic Movements. The USA Rugby SafeSport Liaison, safesport@usa.rugby, can assist with any questions about those obligations. Additionally, suspected criminal activity against a person or property should be reported directly to law enforcement immediately.
If you are unsure about whether a matter might be a policy violation or are unsure about your reporting responsibility for a particular type of matter, start by reviewing the particular policy involved. USA Rugby staff should refer to the USA Rugby Employment Handbook or reach out to the Director of Business Affairs or the Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee, dshanagher@usa.rugby, for more information.
There are several ways an individual may make a report under this Policy.
- Reporters may submit a report here. This portal is monitored by the Director of Compliance who will route reports to the right party to address the concerns.
- Reporters can make a report to the Director of Compliance or Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee at dshanagher@usa.rugby.
Please remember that as a reporter, you do not need to (and should not) investigate the matter of concern, determine fault, or know how to fix it. A reporter does his or her part by making an issue known so the right people can take action.
Once a report is received, it will be forwarded to the responsible party for investigation. Investigations of reports of potential violations will be handled according to the USA Rugby Complaint, Grievance, and Dispute Resolution Policy.
In all cases, matters will be investigated by a disinterested party. If, after investigating to the extent warranted by the circumstances, the investigator concludes that the subject of a report has committed a violation under the governing policy, the subject of the report will be subject to discipline to the extent permitted by the USA Rugby Complaint and Grievance Policy.
USA Rugby is committed to reviewing all incoming reports, but there may be occasions when USA Rugby cannot conduct a full investigation and a report will be dismissed without investigation. Such circumstances include the reporter declining to participate in the investigation, an allegation that is not actionable by USA Rugby, insufficient evidence for an allegation such that an investigation is not warranted, or the allegation has previously been adjudicated.
In the event that an investigation of potential retaliation finds that an employee of USA Rugby has retaliated against an individual in response to any communication, including a formal complaint, from that individual (or their parent / legal guardian) related to an allegation of physical abuse, sexual harassment, or emotional abuse, USA Rugby shall immediately suspend that employee without pay or terminate the employee.
USA Rugby has zero tolerance for retaliation against people who make good faith reports under this Policy or those who cooperate with investigations of those reports. Retaliation, for the purposes of this Policy, is defined as any adverse or discriminatory action, or the threat of an adverse or discriminatory action, carried out against an athlete, employee, board member or officer, member, committee member, task force member, hearing panel member, volunteer, or others associated with USA Rugby as a result of any report, complaint, or other communication reporting misconduct of any kind to USA Rugby, World Rugby, the USOPC, the Office of the Athlete Ombuds, any law enforcement agency or government entity, or employees of these organizations. Examples of adverse or discriminatory actions that would be considered retaliatory include, but are not limited to:
- Removal from a training facility
- Reduced coaching or training
- Reduced meals or housing
- Removal from competition
In addition, USA Rugby, nor any of its employees, contractors, agents, or volunteers, shall take or threaten to take any action against an athlete as a reprisal for disclosing information to or seeking assistance from the Office of the Athlete Ombuds.
Anyone reporting a perceived ethical, policy, financial, or legal violation must be acting in good faith and have some basis for believing there may be a violation. Anyone that makes a false report knowing that it is false or that it has no basis is violating this Policy and the USA Rugby Code of Conduct. Such a violation may itself be reported under this Policy and it may lead to serious consequences, including termination of participation or employment.
USA Rugby will make every effort to keep the identities of the reporting parties and witnesses confidential. However, disclosure of an individual’s identity or identifying information may be required in some cases, such as where USA Rugby is required by law to report a matter to law enforcement.
If a matter is reported anonymously and the reporter chooses to remain anonymous as it is investigated, USA Rugby will respect that. USA Rugby will review all reports with the same level of attention, but if a reporter chooses to remain anonymous, USA Rugby may be limited in its ability to fully investigate a report.
The Director of Compliance is responsible for this policy and its enforcement. The Director of Compliance can be contacted at compliance@usa.rugby.
Individuals who wish to report concerns related to this policy as it relates to involvement in the Olympic and Paralympic Movement, or are uncomfortable reporting a concern directly to their NGB, may also submit a report using the USOPC Integrity Portal. The Integrity Portal allows individuals to submit concerns to the USOPC confidentially and/or anonymously. Reports may be made online or by telephone.
Website: usopc.ethicspoint.com
Hotline: 877-404-9935
Team USA athletes may contact the Athlete Ombuds for independent and confidential advice on a variety of sport related matters, including their rights, applicable rules, policies or processes, and questions related to resolving disputes and grievances. The Athlete Ombuds can also help Team USA athletes connect with legal counsel or mental health resources if needed. All other NGB athletes (i.e., athletes competing domestically at the masters or youth level, recreational athletes, foreign athletes), are welcome to visit the Athlete Ombuds website to review informational resources and should work directly with their NGB to understand additional resources and options available to them.
Email: ombudsman@usathlete.org