Whistleblower

Madison County Public Library 

Whistleblower Policy (2024)

Purpose

The Madison County Public Library is committed to operating in compliance with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations and prohibits unlawful retaliatory practices against its employees by any of its board members, officers, employees, or agents.  Employees may report any actual or suspected violations of law or policy, or any facts or information relative to actual or suspected mismanagement, waste, fraud, abuse of authority, or substantial and specific danger to public health or safety to any public body with apparent authority to remedy or report such actions. 

Scope

This policy applies to any matter which is related to the library’s business and does not relate to private acts of an individual not connected to the business of the library.

Overview

As per KRS 61.102, the Madison County Public Library will not subject any employee, as defined in KRS 61.101, to reprisal, either directly or indirectly, for having made a good faith report of suspected wrongdoing of the type set forth above, either internally to the Board or Executive Director, or externally to any public body with apparent authority to remedy or report such wrongdoing, nor will the library take any such retaliatory action against any person who supports, aids, or substantiates such an employee in having done so.

In addition, the Madison County Public Library will not, with the intent to retaliate, take any action harmful to any employee who has provided to law enforcement personnel, or to a court, truthful, credible information relating to the possible commission by any of its employees, officers, board members or other agents, of any wrongdoing of the type set forth above. 

Reporting

If a Madison County Public Library employee has a reasonable belief that any of the library’s officers, employees or board members has engaged in any wrongdoing of the type set forth above, that employee is encouraged to immediately internally report such information in writing to the Executive Director or to the Board of Trustees. 

Suspected wrongdoing of the type set forth above may be internally reported by the employee confidentially or anonymously. Reports of suspected wrongdoing will be kept confidential to the extent that it is possible and consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation.

Concerns may be submitted anonymously. Such anonymous concerns should be in writing and sent directly to the Executive Director or the President of the Library Board of Trustees at the library’s business address: Madison County Public Library, 507 W Main St, Richmond, KY 40475.    

An anonymous concern from any employee or citizen may also be submitted in writing through the library’s website via “Contact Us” https://www.madisonlibrary.org/form/contact-us-general-.

Investigation and Response

All internal reports of suspected wrongdoing of the type set forth above will be promptly investigated as appropriate. In conducting its investigations, the Madison County Public Library will strive to keep the identity of the reporting employee(s) as confidential as possible.  

The Madison County Public Library may take disciplinary action (up to and including termination) against any employee who has engaged in unlawful retaliatory conduct in violation of this policy.

The Madison County Public Library will ensure that all employees are advised of the content of the Whistleblower Policy and will train all levels of library supervision on the prohibition of retaliation in accordance with this policy.