Mesa County Democratic Socialists of America

Disciplinary Provisions

Adopted 2025-10-26

Article I. Standard of Authority.

The Disciplinary Provisions document shall be considered a Tier III document with respect to the Processes for Amendment and Enforcement of Authorized Documents.

Article II. Purpose.

The Mesa County Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America is committed to creating a space that is welcoming and inclusive to members of all genders, races, and classes. The following policy provides guidelines to ensure that everyone is able to organize without fear of harassment, abuse, or harm. We further recognize that interpersonal conflict can arise within our organization and manifest itself within and without our political processes. The processes created by this policy are designed not only to address harassing conduct, but also conduct that may interfere with our core political work.

Article III. General Provisions.

Section 1. Policy.

Any investigation or proceeding by any MC-DSA body which may result in a member being disciplined by the organization on the basis of their personal conduct, whether permanently, temporarily, or otherwise must follow the procedures laid out in this policy.

This policy does not apply to simple moderation of online resources, though a member’s conduct in online spaces may give rise to a complaint under this policy.

This policy does not restrict a Chapter Meeting’s ability to remove a member from said meeting where said member’s behavior during the meeting violates this policy or DSA’s Meeting Code of Conduct.

Provisions that directly contradict National DSA’s Harassment and Grievance Policy are superseded by the National policy.

Section 2. Conflict of Interest.

“Conflict of interest” as used in this policy means a member’s inability to participate in a grievance-related proceeding without preconceived judgment or opinions. The mere knowledge of circumstances surrounding a grievance does not, in itself, give rise to a conflict of interest.

Chapter Harassment and Grievance Officers (HGOs) and chapter Steering Committee members will recuse themselves from any matter under this policy in which they have a conflict of interest, or in which a conflict of interest is likely to arise. Powers and responsibilities given to HGOs and the Steering Committee within this policy shall be construed to exclude any recused members.

If all HGOs recuse themselves from a complaint, the Steering Committee will appoint a member to serve as HGO to address that complaint.

Article IV. Behavior and Conduct.

Section 1. Prohibited Behavior.

Members shall not engage in harassment on the basis of sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, physical appearance, disability, race, color, religion, national origin, class, age, or profession. Conduct, such as unwelcome attention, inappropriate or offensive remarks, slurs, or jokes, physical or verbal intimidation, stalking, inappropriate physical contact or proximity, and other verbal and physical conduct constitutes harassment only when one or more of the following occurs:

Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of a member’s continued affiliation with the chapter;

Submission or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for organizational decisions affecting such individual; or,

Such conduct has the purpose or effect of creating a hostile environment interfering with an individual’s capacity to organize within MC-DSA. A “hostile environment” is created only where the conduct is sufficiently severe or pervasive as to alter the conditions of membership in MC-DSA and create an abusive organizing environment. Conduct will be presumed “sufficiently severe or pervasive” where a reasonable person would be offended by the conduct.

Section 2. Member Conduct.

Members are expected to abide by the National Code of Conduct, the Meeting Code of Conduct, and applicable chapter bylaws provisions or code of conduct with regards to conduct discipline, and any other document adopted democratically by the chapter with regards to political discipline.

Online conduct. Expectations regarding the conduct of MC-DSA members are enforceable for online behavior, including but not limited to conduct on social media, as well as offline behavior.

Section 3. Officer Conduct.

Officers of the chapter are bound by the same member conduct expectations. Officers are expected to uphold the duties of their position. Malfeasance, nonfeasance, gross negligence, and undemocratic or uncomradely behavior may warrant disciplinary action under this policy.

Article V. Privileges of Membership

Members of MC-DSA are vested with the privilege of being treated with fundamental fairness during any investigation or proceeding under this policy. Specifically, members are entitled:

To notice, in writing, of any allegations made against them.

To an opportunity to respond, in writing, to any allegations made against them.

To have complaints they make or that are made against them investigated by HGOs.

To the confidentiality of information they may share during an investigation or proceeding under this policy, with the understanding that any information provided during an investigation or proceeding under this policy may be shared with the Steering Committee and may be reviewed at the national level.

To a written final adjudication on complaints they make or that are made against them, including factual findings based on evidence, when an outcome is reached.

To appeal final adjudications and/or discipline to which the member is a party and which is adverse to that member to the National Political Committee (NPC).

Article VI. Investigation and Adjudication

Section 1. Complaints.

Any member that has been harassed by another member or believes another member’s conduct violates any other provisions of Article IV of this policy may make a complaint, in writing, about the conduct of the other member to an HGO, preferably to the applicable HGO email address. There is no time limit for making a complaint.

A complaint arising from online behavior of a member made by a member of a separate chapter may be made either to the accused member’s chapter HGOs or to the NPC via the National Grievance Coordinator (NGC) and National Grievance Panel (NGP) co-chairs. In all other cases, complaints must be adjudicated by the chapter before being brought to the NPC.

Email addresses for chapter HGOs and for the NGC and NGP co-chairs shall be maintained at the beginning of this document. Similarly, forms for reporting and responding to complaints and for grievance appeals shall be maintained at the beginning of this document. The chapter HGOs may update these as necessary without amending this document.

Section 2. Disciplinary Referrals.

Where a member has allegedly violated this policy, any applicable member Code of Conduct, or other authority, a Steering Committee or HGO may issue a disciplinary referral against a member, which will be made in the same manner as a complaint and will be treated as a complaint under this policy.

Section 3. Preliminary Procedures.

Upon receipt of a complaint, the responsible HGOs will provide notice of the complaint to the accused member within a reasonable time, ideally within seven (7) days of receiving the complaint. Notice will include either a copy of the complaint or a summary which includes the specific conduct alleged to have violated this policy, an applicable code of conduct, or other authority.

At any time following the receipt of a complaint, an HGO may notify the Steering Committee of the complaint and request from the Steering Committee temporary discipline as necessary to protect the health and safety of members and the integrity of the organization. Nothing in this policy shall be construed to limit the Steering Committee’s ability to issue temporary discipline, including suspension.

Once notified, the accused member will have seven (7) days to respond to the complaint. If the accused member requests additional time to respond, it should be freely given, but in no circumstances will the accused member be given more than fourteen (14) days to respond unless extraordinary circumstances justify the delay.

If an accused member fails to timely respond or request additional time, the HGO will recommend the Steering Committee take appropriate disciplinary action.

An HGO may recommend that a complaining member and an accused member do not communicate with each other or with specific other persons for the duration of the grievance process.

With consent of the complaining member and the accused member, an HGO may refer a matter for alternative dispute resolution where appropriate.

If an accused party denies the substance of the complaint, the HGO will conduct an investigation under Section 4 of this Article.

At any stage of a process under this policy, an accused member may name another member as an advisor or support person, provided the named member agrees to serve as advisor or support person. The advisor or support person may be any member who is not otherwise a party involved in the incident or a witness to the conduct stated in the complaint. The advisor or support person’s role is to provide guidance and/or emotional support, and may not speak on behalf of a member or disrupt any meeting or proceedings in any manner. Advisors or support persons may be excluded from participation if they fail to adhere to restrictions outlined here. Conduct by an advisor or support person which constitutes retaliation under Article X of this policy will be the subject of a separate complaint under this policy.

Section 4. Investigation.

An HGO may investigate a complaint by interviewing people with direct knowledge of the substance of the complaint, requesting appropriate documentation from the complaining member, accused member, or other person in possession of relevant documents or by any and all other necessary means.

An HGO will complete the investigation in a reasonable time, ideally within ten (10) days of receiving the accused member’s written response.

Section 5. Report.

Following investigation, the HGO will create a report determining whether the complaint is credible, whether the alleged conduct violates this policy, and whether the alleged conduct more likely than not occurred.

Grievance reports are confidential and will not be disseminated outside of the HGOs, the Steering Committee, the complaining member, and the accused member.

A report may contain disciplinary recommendations to the Steering Committee.

Reports will be transmitted to the Steering Committee, the complaining member, and the accused member in a timely fashion. Grievance reports are ideally transmitted within thirty (30) days of the complaint being filed. If an HGO requires more than sixty (60) days to complete the report, the HGO must communicate the need for additional time to the Steering Committee, the complaining member, and the accused member.

Section 6. Adjudication.

The Steering Committee has sole decision making authority as to whether conduct more likely than not occurred and whether conduct violated this policy. The Steering Committee has authority to determine matters of member discipline under this policy, in accordance with any applicable bylaws. Each complaint will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by the Steering Committee. To adjudicate a complaint, the Steering Committee will determine:

Whether the alleged conduct more likely than not occurred;

Whether the conduct violated this policy or an applicable chapter policy; and,

Whether the accused member’s conduct warrants discipline.

The Steering Committee will make all necessary decisions on complaints in a timely fashion, not to exceed thirty (30) days from the receipt of the HGO’s report. The adjudication of a grievance will be in writing, and will contain findings based on the HGO report and any other evidence considered by the Steering Committee.

The Steering Committee will notify the complaining member, the accused member, and the HGOs of any adjudication and of the right to an appeal within three (3) days of a decision. This communication will include a copy of the written adjudication.

Suspensions and expulsions as final remedy shall be subject to a confirmation vote by a Special Meeting called specifically for this purpose, at which the Steering Committee’s adjudication shall be read to the members in attendance. Members in attendance at such meetings shall vote to uphold such measures by a two-thirds (⅔) vote. All members of the chapter in attendance shall be permitted to vote. Such meetings shall coincide with any relevant recall votes for accused officers.

Article VII. Discipline

Section 1. Temporary Discipline.

Upon notice of a complaint to the Steering Committee by an HGO, at request of the HGO, or on its own, the Steering Committee may issue a temporary remedy as necessary to protect the health and welfare of members and the integrity of the organization. No temporary discipline will continue beyond the adjudication of the complaint, and no temporary discipline will continue beyond one hundred and twenty (120) days from the date the member was notified of the temporary discipline, unless extended by the NPC.

Nothing in this policy should be construed to limit the Steering Committee from removing members from online spaces as temporary discipline. The Steering Committee may delegate the authority to remove members from online spaces to moderators at its discretion.

Section 2. Final Discipline.

A final remedy will only be issued following adjudication of the complaint where the Steering Committee determines that the conduct more likely than not occurred, that the conduct violated this policy or an applicable chapter policy, and that the accused member’s conduct warrants discipline.

Section 3. Determinations.

In determining temporary or final discipline, the following shall be considered: the request of the complaining member; the facts of the case and the severity of the offense; the response of the accused member; any history of relevant behavior by the accused member; the recommendation of the HGO.

Section 4. Time.

All decisions regarding member discipline determined by the Steering Committee will be made within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the HGO’s report. Confirmation of a member’s suspension, or expulsion as final remedy by a Chapter Meeting will be made within forty-five (45) days of the Steering Committee’s receipt of the HGO’s report.

Section 5. Remedies.

Remedies may include: a formal discussion between the disciplined member and the Steering Committee to develop a plan to change the offending behavior(s); disciplinary probation, censure of the disciplined member; suspension from leadership positions (not to automatically recall officers), committee, branch, or working group meetings, and/or other organizational events; recall under the Election Regulations document, removal from committees, branches, or working groups; removal from shared resources or communications platforms; suspension from the chapter and national organizations; expulsion from the chapter.

Disciplinary probation shall be subject either to the consent of the accused, or the same standard for adjudication and confirmation as any entailed disciplinary measures.

No suspension from DSA will be effective for a period longer than three (3) years. A member’s suspension may contain conditions for re-integration at the end of the suspension period. Following Section 8(f)(vi) of CR08: Unified Grievance Policy, passed at the 2025 DSA National Convention, suspension from DSA shall be interpreted by the chapter as applicable to both the chapter and national organizations.

Expulsion from the chapter is treated immediately as a full suspension and immediately forwarded to the NGP to begin the national expulsion process. The NGP will review the expulsion notes and proceedings to ensure expulsions are for conduct and not politically related reasons before forwarding to the NPC. The NPC will address requests for national expulsion as a complaint under this policy.

Article VIII. Appeals

Section 1. Right to Appeal.

A complaining member, an accused member, or a chapter HGO may appeal a chapter Steering Committee’s adjudication to the NPC.

Section 2. Appeal of Temporary Discipline.

Temporary discipline pending the outcome of a grievance decision is not appealable until the final adjudication of the complaint or the expiration of one hundred twenty (120) days from the date the member was notified of the temporary discipline, whichever is sooner.

Section 3. Grounds.

The limited grounds for appeal are: the behavior did not violate this policy; procedural errors, misconduct, or conflicts of interest affected the fairness of the outcome (error that did not affect the fairness of the outcome will not warrant the overturning of an adjudication); the discipline determined by the Steering Committee was grossly disproportionate to the conduct.

Section 4. Time.

There is no specific time limit for the filing of an appeal; however, the NPC may choose to reject as moot an appeal which does not have an ongoing impact on a member’s status.

Section 5. Form.

An appeal to the NPC will be initiated by contacting the NGC, who will provide the party with the appropriate appeal forms, which will then be referred to the NGP.

Section 6. Determination.

The NPC has sole and ultimate decision-making authority on all appeals. The NGP may assist the NPC in reviewing grievance appeals and making recommendations to the NPC.

Section 7. Remedies.

The NPC may affirm or reverse the chapter’s adjudication and/or decision on member discipline, in whole or in part. The NPC may also choose to remand an appeal to the chapter for further action. Upon remand, the chapter is obligated to follow the recommendations of the NPC.

Article IX. Confidentiality

Section 1. General Policy.

The grievance process under this policy is confidential. However, DSA leaders can often find themselves in difficult situations where they are trying to build trust with their comrades through transparency, but are fearful of disclosing private information. MC-DSA leadership and HGOs will follow this guidance to protect the confidentiality of members:

A complaining member will not be silenced. HGOs can explain that maintaining confidentiality may help expedite the investigation, preserve the integrity of the process, and de-escalate conflict. A complaining member who agrees to confidentiality should understand that the confidentiality request is only for the period of the investigation.

Accused members will not be punished for making a good-faith effort to produce evidence for the consideration of HGOs and/or the Steering Committee. Communications regarding a complaint that violate any temporary discipline of a member and/or an HGO’s recommendations under Article VI, Section 3, Paragraph 5 of this policy (if any) will not be considered as being in good-faith.

Accused members will not be punished for seeking advice or emotional support from a person they designate as an advisor or support person under this policy.

Anyone involved in the investigation, including the complaining member and the accused member, must understand that disclosure of information regarding the complaint can escalate conflict. Escalation of conflict by a complaining member, an accused member, or a third-party may constitute retaliation under this policy.

HGOs and chapter leaders will refrain from conveying any information provided to them in confidence without the express permission of the party who gave them that information, except as necessary to effect the adjudication of the complaint.

The chapter and its Steering Committee will keep grievance deliberations confidential and discuss such matters only in executive session. All votes must be a matter of record.

In order to prevent additional harm and/or the spreading of misinformation, chapter leaders will work with the NGP before releasing information about a complaint at the chapter level. The chapter is not in any way restricted from confirming or denying a person’s membership status to members.

Chapter leadership and HGOs will work through the NGC and the NGP and not contact the NPC directly about grievance matters. Chapters and/or parties are not permitted to “lobby” the NPC about their desired outcome on appeal, and efforts to do so may be considered retaliation.

When the Steering Committee has adjudicated a grievance matter, the ruling will be privately conveyed to the parties in a manner that ensures the safety of survivors and fairness to the accused.

No confidential grievance information will be disclosed to law enforcement or any party to a civil lawsuit without a valid and enforceable subpoena requesting said information. Any HGO or chapter receiving a subpoena or informal request for information or evidence from anyone outside of the parties or in relation to any legal, judicial, administrative or other kind of action should contact the NGC immediately.

Article X. Retaliation.

Section 1. Retaliation prohibited.

Retaliation for making a complaint or assisting a member in making a complaint under this policy is prohibited. Retaliation against HGOs for investigating and reporting complaints is prohibited. Retaliation against Steering Committee members for adjudicating complaints and/or making decisions on member discipline is prohibited.

If any party to the complaint, HGO, or Steering Committee member believes there has been retaliation, they should inform the HGO, who will treat the allegation of retaliatory conduct as a separate complaint under this policy.

Section 2. Definition.

The following behaviors may be considered retaliatory and will be considered the subject of a new complaint involving any person(s) engaged in retaliatory conduct:

Intentionally exposing confidential information outside of the grievance process in a manner calculated to target the complaining member, the accused member and/or other individuals involved in the process.

Filing complaints under this policy in bad faith with no merit against individuals they want to be suspended or expelled for political or personal reasons, or to invoke confidentiality where none is warranted.

Organizing to avoid accountability among friends, supporters, and others inside and outside DSA to foster support and degenerate the grievance process and/or to enlist support from outside organizations.

Publicly disparaging a complaining member or others involved in the investigation by directly and/or indirectly targeting participants with profanity, slurs, or other language prohibited by this policy.

Vigilantism/self-help measures that include public shaming, contacting employers, community groups, family members, and romantic/relationship partners, and other harmful public actions.

Escalation of conflict while the grievance is pending by using social media, personal contacts, publications, organizing efforts, social networks, or any other way that results in an escalation of the conflict.

Manipulating chapter election processes to unfairly prevent parties involved in grievances from assuming leadership positions.

Failing to reveal a conflict of interest or failure to recuse by those involved in investigation or decision-making with regard to a complaint, including HGOs who do not reveal actual conflicts of interest and/or do not recuse themselves from matters where such a conflict is likely to arise.

Taking other adverse action against those involved in the process, including piling on additional work for people in leadership positions to make them look bad, and subjecting them to continuing retaliation as described above for the way they conducted the investigation and/or decisions which impacted the grievance outcome.

Retaliation reported during the grievance process is treated as a separate complaint, but evidence of retaliatory conduct may be considered by the NPC as part of any decision on appeal.

Refusal by the chapter to implement a final appeal ruling may be considered retaliation. The NPC may also take action against chapter leadership to ensure its decisions are honored.

Article XI. Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Section 1. Use of Alternative Dispute Resolution.

In certain circumstances, an alternative dispute resolution based on restorative practices and the principles of transformative justice may be preferable to a formal investigation and adjudication of a complaint. Where the complaining member and accused member agree and the HGO determines there is no risk of further harm from communication between the parties, an HGO may recommend that the complaint be referred for alternative dispute resolution under this section.

Nothing in this policy should be construed as limiting the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution or other informal practices to resolve conflict where no complaint has been filed.

All alternative dispute resolution is voluntary and no alternative dispute resolution may be imposed upon the parties.

Alternative dispute resolution will only be used where the complaining member is demonstrably comfortable with that approach and the accused member is ready to acknowledge responsibility for the harm caused.

Alternative dispute resolution may include: mediation; talking or discussion circles; requesting a training from national committees; other restorative practices.

Any information shared as part of an alternative dispute resolution is subject to the same confidentiality as information shared during an investigation.

An HGO will report the outcome of any alternative dispute resolution to the Steering Committee, whether successful or unsuccessful.

If an HGO refers a matter for alternative dispute resolution and the resolution is unsuccessful, the HGO will investigate according to the terms of this policy and make the appropriate report to the Steering Committee.

Article XII. Political Discipline.

Section 1. Conduct and Political Expulsions.

Expulsion of a member under the above policies and processes constitutes a “conduct expulsion,” or a finding that the member engaged in “undemocratic, disruptive behavior,” permitting expulsion under Article I, Section 3 of the National DSA Bylaws.

A “political expulsion” is defined as an expulsion on the basis of Article I, Section 3 of the National DSA Bylaws, “substantial disagreement with the principles or policies of the organization.”

With the exception of this Article and the relevant sections of Article IV, this policy does not apply to political expulsions or to any other disciplinary processes for which the subject is the political rather than personal conduct of the accused.

With the exception of this Article, this policy may not be used to adjudicate a political expulsion, nor may it be used to apply other discipline to a member on the basis of political disagreement or otherwise adjudicate political disagreement between MC-DSA members.

Section 2. Authority.

MC-DSA’s political decision-making bodies, namely the Steering Committee and the Chapter Meeting, have sole authority over political expulsions. Either body may expel a member under this policy by a two-thirds (⅔) vote. Political expulsion by the Steering Committee shall be treated as an immediate suspension and must be subject to a two-thirds (⅔) confirmation vote by a Chapter Meeting. The failure of such a vote shall fully reinstate the accused member.

Section 3. Appeals.

A member expelled on political grounds may appeal their expulsion to the NPC. Political expulsion by the NPC may be appealed to the National Convention.

Section 4. Notice.

Members facing political expulsion must receive specific written notice of the charges against them and must be given the opportunity to be heard before the Chapter Meeting.

Section 5. Transparency.

There is a general policy of transparency for all political disciplinary processes. The pertinent political information used to justify any political expulsion must be disclosed to the general membership.