Investigations

Learn why fair and well-conducted investigations are crucial for maintaining trust and upholding core values in your organization.

When abuse or misconduct allegations hit, ministry leaders can be caught off guard. This op-ed emphasizes the need for proactive preparation, detailing essential steps like quick triage, safety plans, pastoral support, and clear communication to handle these crises effectively and maintain community trust.

Carefully following best investigative practices can help avoid harming people and avoid costly litigation.

Do you really need that workplace investigation? In many cases, the answer is absolutely “yes” …it may even be legally required. Read on to find examples of when “Yes, you should have an investigation!”

This post cautions about what not to do in an internal employment investigation and provides four helpful tips to avoid mishandling a complaint of sexual harassment.

A multi-chapter resource about employment investigations for religious organizations, including the importance of these investigations and how to develop a framework for conducting them.

This post provides an overview of the EEOC’s new interpretative guidance on retaliation for employment discrimination claims, including practical tips for employers.

Recently, a court has allowed to go forward most of a case against the Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco. The case alleges that the school did not investigate, refused to apply the ministerial exception defense, and did not find any formal religious decision-making process. What lessons can be learned here?

A good investigation requires many complex skills that include managing the investigation, doing interviews, and making credibility determinations. A credibility determination requires the investigative team to analyze the facts and decide the truth of the matter, sometimes with conflicting evidence. The investigation must be done skillfully and must consider legal issues.