Pittsburgh Ski Club Disciplinary Policy

If a member (hereinafter the “accused member”) acts in a manner that harms the Pittsburgh Ski Club (“PSC”) or another member as that term is defined below, and if a member sends a written letter (hereinafter the “complaint”) to the PSC President complaining about the alleged harm, the executive committee shall appoint an investigative committee within 60 days of the President’s receipt of the complaint to investigate the allegations made in the complaint. The investigative committee shall be comprised of board members, excluding members of the executive committee.

        For purposes of this provision, a member “harms” the PSC if he or she,
        among other things, does any of the following:

                (1) acts in a manner that may damage the reputation of the PSC
                including, but not limited to, making libelous or slanderous remarks
                about the PSC;

                (2) engages in conduct that is generally disruptive of a PSC trip or event; or

                (3) takes, withholds or damages PSC property or PSC funds.


        A member “harms” another member if he or she, among other things, does any of the following:

                (1) assaults, recklessly endangers, threatens, stalks, harasses, annoys, or
                alarms another member;

                (2) intentionally or recklessly inflicts emotional distress upon another
                member; or

                (3) makes libelous or slanderous remarks about another member.


The Board of Directors have approved and accepted the following guidelines/procedures:

  • The investigative committee shall conduct a confidential investigation of the allegations made in the complaint, which shall include interviews with those individuals, including the accused, having first–hand knowledge of the complaint. The investigative committee cannot require anyone to appear before it, but should quietly conduct a complete investigation, making every effort to learn all revelant facts. The investigative committee shall make a reasonable effort to provide the accused member with an opportunity to speak in person with one or more members of the investigative committee before issuing a report to the executive committee.
  • After conducting its investigation, the investigative committee must submit a written report to the President of the PSC within 60 days of the executive committee’s appointment to investigate the complaint. The investigative committee’s written report may recommend that no further action is warranted, that a letter of reprimand be issued to the accused member, that the accused member be suspended and placed on probation, or that the accused member be expelled.
  • The President of the PSC must report the recommendations of the investigative committee to the executive committee at the next regular business meeting of the PSC or the next executive committee meeting, whichever first occurs. At the next executive committee meeting, the executive committee shall vote on what action should be taken against the accused member. If the executive committee votes to issue a written reprimand, it may do so without holding any further hearing and without providing advance notice of its decision to the accused member. If the executive committee votes to suspend or expel the accused member, the accused member must be given written notice of the executive committee’s preliminary decision within ten (10) days of its decision. This notice shall be mailed to the accused member’s physical address on file with the PSC. The notice given to the accused member must also inform him/her that he/she has ten (10) days from the mailing date of the notice to submit a written request with the PSC President for an informal hearing before the executive committee.
  • If the accused member fails to submit a written request for an informal hearing within the ten (10) days, the preliminary decision made by the executive committee shall become final and the matter shall become closed.
  • If the accused member submits a request for an informal hearing before the executive committee, the executive committee shall schedule an informal hearing at a time and date convenient to the accused member within thirty (30) days, and the PSC President shall send notice to the executive committee members, the accused member, and the member that filed the complaint, of the date, time and place of the informal hearing before the executive committee. The notice of this informal hearing may be sent via the e–mail address for all parties on file with the PSC and, if so, the President shall preserve a printed copy of the e–mails sent.
  • The hearing before the executive committee shall be informal but some decorum must be maintained. The accused member, the complaining member, and any member with first–hand knowledge of the allegations in the written complaint (hereinafter “authorized speakers”) may speak. Any member of the executive committee may ask any relevant question of an authorized speaker. Authorized speakers shall not question each other during the hearing, although an authorized speaker can ask an executive committee member to pose a question to another authorized speaker. The executive committee may, but is not required, to ask any particular question of any authorized speaker . After the informal hearing, the executive committee shall vote by secret ballot on the action to be taken against the accused member. A quorum must be present at the informal hearing and majority vote rules. If there is an even number of executive committee members present so that a tie vote could occur, the executive committee shall randomly determine prior to its vote which member’s vote will not be counted in the final vote in the event of a tie. This random determination shall be done in a manner so that no one could infer favoritism in excluding the vote of one of the executive committee members. The accused member may not participate in counting the votes but may ask that any member present observe the counting of the votes. The vote upon the final action to be taken by the executive committee shall be announced orally immediately after the votes are counted at the informal hearing and written notice of the final action shall be mailed to the accused member at the address on file with PSC.
  • Unless otherwise noted, any written notice required by this provision must be mailed via first class mail postage perpaid, to the address of the addressee on file with the PSC and such mail is conclusively presumed to have been received if the mailing person provides a copy of a “Certificate of Mailing” to any member who is an addressee of a notice and who questions the mailing of a written notice to them. A “Certificate of Mailing” is available at any post office for a nominal fee.


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