Grievances

Filing a Grievance Charge

A grievance against an RFCI member must be presented to the Grievance Committee Chairperson, using the RFCI's complaint form found below or available from any of the Grievance Committee members.  Any relevant information such as contracts or records should be included with the complaint form.

The Grievance Committee Chairperson will inform the Grievance Committee of the charge and consult with them. The member charged shall be notified in writing of said charge and be given two weeks to respond to the charge and present their side of the story. If charges are related to an unresolved disagreement between two parties, the Grievance Committee will put precedence in arbitrating an agreement between the two parties in dispute. The Grievance Committee shall act as the Mediator and try to find a solution that is acceptable to both parties. In the event that the situation is unable to be rectified or a fair solution found that both parties agree to, the Committee shall vote on what they believe would be fair solution and present it to both parties. Should the RFCI member(s) not agree to the solution, it is up to the Grievance Committee to determine a course of action and/or punishment toward the RFCI member(s). If the charges are not dispute orientated, but instead related to a serious breech of the Code of Conduct, the Grievance Committee will examine all the evidence and make a decision according to the severity of the charge. The first priority will be for the Grievance Committee to educate the breeder charged on proper protocol, but if a member refuses to follow the guidelines set forth, then their membership will be in jeopardy. Should a decision be made by the Grievnce Committee to remove a member from the RFCI Club or suspend their membership rights for any length of time, the person charged may request a review of the charges and penalties against them by the entire RFCI Board of Directors. Should a review be requested, a majority vote of the RFCI Board of Directors will be required for removal or suspension of membership rights.

It should be taken into account that filing an Grievance charge against an RFCI member is a serious matter, and anyone filing a complaint should keep in mind that our Code of Conduct is meant as a guideline for our members and is not meant as a set of laws. It is understood that in extraordinary instances it is acceptable for a member to take steps outside of the Code of Conduct if sound judgement is used. A breech of the Code of Conduct would be defined by a member having a policy in force that directly violates the Code of Conduct on a regular basis, or demonstrates behavior that shows obvious lack of sound judgement, or engages in activities that have resulted in emotional, physical, or financial injury to a cat or person.

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Grievance Complaint Form (opens in a pdf)
Grievance Complaint Form Part 2 (opens printable web page)

Code of Conduct Guidelines
Minimum Contract Requirements
Sample Contracts