Process to Report Suspicious behavior
Complaint Process
If you suspect abuse of a child or youth, call outside authorities immediately. The phone number for Alexandria City Child Protective Services is 703-746-5800.
If you have been subjected to or witnessed sexual, verbal or physical misconduct that does not pose an immediate threat to a child or youth, you are urged to use this procedure.
Christ the King will courteously treat any person who invokes this complaint procedure, and the Church will handle all complaints swiftly and confidentially.
Confidentiality
During the complaint process, the confidentiality of the information received, the privacy of the individuals involved, and the wishes of the complaining person will be protected to as great a degree as is possible. The expressed wishes of the complaining person for confidentiality will be considered in the context of the Church’s legal obligation to act on the charge and the right of the charged party to obtain information. In most cases, however, confidentiality will be strictly maintained by the Church and those involved in the investigation. In addition, any notes or documents written by or received by the person(s) conducting the investigation will be kept confidential to the extent possible and according to any existing state or federal law.
Complaint procedure
Christ the King has established the following procedure for lodging a complaint of sexual misconduct. The Church will treat all aspects of the procedure confidentially to the extent reasonably possible.
An individual who believes they have witnessed or experienced misconduct should initiate the complaint process by filing a complaint in writing with either Christ the King’s Rector, the head of the Personnel Committee, or the Sr. or Jr. Warden. Contact information for each is available on Christ the King’s website. All persons initiating a complaint are strongly urged to file a complaint in writing; exceptions to this policy may be made in unusual circumstances or when a minor child is the complaining party.
Upon receiving a complaint, the Rector will inform the Jr. Warden, Sr. Warden, and Chancellor.
No person who is the subject of a complaint shall play any role in reviewing or assessing the complaint under this policy. If the Rector is the subject of the complaint, the Personnel Head, the Sr. or Jr. Warden and Chancellor shall review the complaint and notify the Bishop presiding over the Church.
The first priority of the review set forth above is to determine whether the complaint raises a reason to suspect child abuse or neglect and therefore should be immediately referred to the police and/or Alexandria City Child Protective Services in accordance with Virginia Code § 63.2-1509. The second priority of the review is to determine whether the complaint can by investigated and assessed by the Sr. or Jr. Warden or whether the complaint should be referred to an independent investigator outside the Church.
If the complaint is not referred to an outside independent investigator, within five working days of receiving the complaint, the Senior Rector, or Sr. / Jr. Warden will notify the person(s) charged [hereafter referred to as “respondent(s)”] of a complaint and initiate the investigation to determine whether there is a reasonable basis for believing that the alleged violation occurred.
During the investigation, the Personnel Head or the Sr./Jr. Warden, together with other staff, if necessary, will interview the complainant, the respondent and any witnesses to determine whether the alleged conduct occurred. All persons involved in the investigation should, to the maximum extent possible, maintain confidentiality of the process and refrain from involving persons unnecessary to the investigation or suggesting the outcome of the matter before it is concluded.
Within 15 business days of the complaint being filed the Rector, Sr. / Jr. Warden will conclude the investigation and submit a written report of his or her findings to the Head Rector. The Rector may accept the findings or direct that further investigation should occur.
If it is determined that a violation has occurred, the Rector, Personnel Head or the Sr. / Jr. Warden will recommend appropriate disciplinary action. The appropriate action will depend on the following factors: a) the severity, frequency and pervasiveness of the conduct; b) prior complaints made by the complainant; c) prior complaints made against the respondent; and d) the quality of the evidence (e.g., first-hand knowledge, credible corroboration).
If the investigation is inconclusive or if it is determined that there has been no violation of policy, but potentially problematic conduct may have occurred, the Rector, Personnel Head or the Sr. / Jr. Warden may recommend appropriate preventive action.
Within five days after the investigation is concluded, the Rector, Personnel Head or Sr. / Jr. Warden will meet with the complainant and the respondent separately, notify them of the findings of the investigation, and inform them of the action being recommended.
The time frames set forth in this complaint process may be shortened or lengthened at the discretion of the person or persons conducting the investigation for good cause based on the individual circumstances of each complaint / investigation.