COPE Disciplinary Actions

The NATA Committee on Professional Ethics is responsible for adjudicating ethics complaints, thereby ensuring members are held accountable when they violate the NATA Code of Ethics.

If the NATA Committee on Professional Ethics (COPE) has taken disciplinary action against an individual and has directed the action be made public, the public documents related to the action are available and posted on the COPE Disciplinary Action website. The Disciplinary Action database contains final NATA disciplinary actions that have been deemed public by COPE.

Sanctions for violations of the Membership Standards and/or Code of Ethics shall in all cases be reasonably tailored to the applicable violation(s).

The following are sanctions that may be imposed:

• Private Reprimand: For violations that do not meet the burden of a more severe sanction. The written reprimand is confidential and is not published to the general membership or to the general public. However, the disciplinary action will be listed on the COPE Disciplinary Action Database.
  
  
• Public Censure: When the COPE determines that a member should be censured publicly, a notice of the disciplinary action will be placed in the NATA News and COPE Disciplinary Action Database, along with a statement of the reasons for the actions. Other “public” censures may involve notification of the district and state regulatory bodies that disciplinary action has been taken. Public Censures will be made public.
  
  
• Ethics Education: The COPE may impose an Education Requirement as part of the sanctions of reprimand or suspension. Ethics Education will be made public.
  
  
• Probation of Membership: Probation is an appropriate sanction to accompany a reprimand or public censure. During a period of probation, a respondent is required to comply with conditions established by the COPE. Probations from the membership will be made public.
  
  
• Loss of Committee Service: If serving on national or district committees, the COPE may recommend immediate removal from that service opportunity. If membership has been suspended or expelled, they will automatically lose any national or district service position. Loss of Committee Service will be made public.
  
  
• Suspension of Membership: Suspends membership due to ethics violations that do not meet the burden of permanent revocation of membership. Suspensions from the membership will be made public. Suspensions are considered temporary for an established amount of time or until a certain criterion is met.
  
  
• Expulsion of Membership: Expulsion is the most serious sanction involving the revocation of membership. Action would be taken after an investigation and is permanent. Expulsion from the membership will be made public. An expelled individual is not eligible for reinstatement.