Process For Filing An Ethics Complaint

Before Filing a Complaint

The individual against whom an ethics complaint is made must be a current member in the Society
The complaint must state the matter complained of in detail, and should be accompanied by all materials that support the complaint
ASID determines if there is an ethics violation, and can only take action to suspend, terminate or uphold the membership of the accused. ASID is not a civil court and has no legal recourse in situations of where complainants are in need of financial recourse
Following receipt confirmation the initial complaint, it may take up to fourteen business days for the ethics committee to notify the complainant about whether we are able to proceed with the full ethics process

For any questions, please contact ethics@asid.org.

Ethics Complaint Submissions Form

First Name

Last Name

Preferred Phone Number

Location of Incident (City)

Location of Incident (State)

Incident/Project Start Date

Incident/Project End Date

Name of Accused ASID Member Please enter first and last name.

Email of Accused ASID Member Cite Code Violation (select at least one) - Required

Code violations refer to the specific section(s) of the Society's Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct the accused violated. Please carefully review the code and select the section(s) that best fit the incident. Responsibility to the Public 2.1 Members shall comply with all federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations and codes governing business procedures and the practice of interior design in the jurisdictions in which they practice (“Applicable Laws”). Responsibility to the Public 2.2 Members shall not seal or sign drawings, specifications, or other interior design documents except where the member or the member's firm has prepared, supervised or professionally reviewed and approved such documents, as allowed by Applicable Laws. Responsibility to the Public 2.3 Members shall at all times consider the health, safety and welfare of the public in spaces they design. Members agree, whenever possible, to notify property managers, landlords, and/or public officials of conditions within a built environment that endanger the health, safety and/or welfare of occupants. Responsibility to the Public 2.4 Members shall not engage in any form of false or misleading advertising or promotional activities. Responsibility to the Public 2.5 Members shall neither offer, nor make any payments or gifts to any public official, nor take any other action, with the intent of unduly influencing the official's judgment in connection with an existing or prospective project in which the members are interested. Responsibility to the Public 2.6 Members shall not assist or abet improper or illegal conduct of anyone in connection with a project. Responsibility to the Client 3.1 Members' contracts with a client shall clearly set forth the scope and nature of the project involved, the services to be performed and the method of compensation for those services. Responsibility to the Client 3.2 Members may offer professional services to a client for any form of legal compensation. Responsibility to the Client 3.3 Members shall not undertake any professional responsibility unless they are, by training and experience, competent to adequately perform the work required. Responsibility to the Client 3.4 Members shall fully disclose to a client all compensation which the Member shall receive in connection with the project and shall not accept any form of undisclosed compensation from any person or firm with whom the member deals in connection with the project. Responsibility to the Client 3.5 Members shall not divulge any confidential information about the client or the client's project, or utilize photographs of the project except as is expressly allowed by agreement between the Member and client. Responsibility to the Client 3.6 Members shall be candid and truthful in all their professional communications. Responsibility to the Client 3.7 Members shall act with fiscal responsibility in the best interest of their clients and shall maintain sound business relationships with suppliers, industry and trades. Responsibility to Other Interior Designers & Colleagues 4.1 Members shall abide by common law and statutory prohibitions against tortuous interference of contract and will not unlawfully interfere with another interior designer’s existing contractual relationships. Responsibility to Other Interior Designers & Colleagues 4.2 Members shall avoid making any intentionally false communication, either written or spoken, that harms another interior designer’s reputation or otherwise disparages their character. Responsibility to Other Interior Designers & Colleagues 4.3 Members may, when requested and it does not present a conflict of interest, render a second opinion to a client, or serve as an expert witness in a judicial or arbitration proceeding. Responsibility to Other Interior Designers & Colleagues 4.4 Members shall not endorse the application for ASID membership and/or certification, registration or licensing of an individual known to be unqualified with respect to education, training, experience or character, nor shall a Member knowingly misrepresent the experience, professional expertise or moral character of that individual. Responsibility to Other Interior Designers & Colleagues 4.5 Subject to the provisions of section six, members shall only take credit for work that has actually been created by that Member or the Member's firm, and under the Member's supervision. Responsibility to Other Interior Designers & Colleagues 4.6 Members shall respect the confidentiality of sensitive information obtained in the course of their professional activities. Responsibility to the Profession 5.1 Members agree to maintain standards of professional and personal conduct that will reflect in a responsible manner on the Society and the profession. Responsibility to the Profession 5.2 Members shall seek to continually upgrade their professional knowledge and competency with respect to the interior design profession. Responsibility to the Profession 5.3 Members agree, whenever possible, to encourage and contribute to the sharing of knowledge and information between interior designers and other allied professional disciplines, industry and the public. Responsibility to the Employer 6.1 Members leaving an employer's service shall not take drawings, designs, photographs, data, reports, notes, client lists, or other materials relating to work performed in the employer's service except with permission of the employer. Responsibility to the Employer 6.2 Members shall not divulge any confidential information obtained during the course of their employment about the client or the client's project.

Notice to Complainant Please note, it is the Complainant’s responsibility to follow up with relevant documentation of complaint submissions within 14 business days to ethics@asid.org. Failure to do so will result in the case being automatically closed. This will be the only notice.

Yes, I have all supporting documentation ready. I understand that it is my responsibility to forward complete documentation related to this submission to ethics@asid.org within 14 business days, or my case will be closed.

No, I do not have all supporting documentation ready. I understand is it my responsibility to collect and forward complete documentation related to this submission to ethics@asid.org within 14 business days, or my case will be closed.

The Ethics Process

The following are ASID’s procedures regarding a complaint filed against a member:

The individual against whom an ethics complaint is made must be a current member in the Society (the "member"). The complaint must be in writing, signed by the complaining party, shall state the matter complained of in detail, and accompanied by all materials the complaining party (the "complainant") wishes to bring to the attention of the Society (collectively referred to as "complaining materials").
The complaining materials must be sent to Society headquarters within two years of the occurrence of the conduct which is the subject matter of the complaining materials.
The complaining materials are forwarded to a member of the Society’s leadership team at ethics@asid.org to review and determine if the conduct complained of involves a possible violation of the Society's Code of Ethics, or might otherwise constitute conduct detrimental to the Society or the profession.
If it is determined that complaining materials do not involve a possible violation, the complainant is informed and the matter is closed. If it is determined the complaining materials may involve a possible violation, the complaining materials are sent by the Society to the member with a request for a written response from the member to the complaining materials within 21 days. The response shall be in writing, signed by the member, and shall be accompanied by all materials the member wishes to bring to the attention of the Society in response to complaining materials. (Electronic submissions are preferred. Send to ethics@asid.org.)
The complaining and responding materials are then reviewed by the Society's complaints committee to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to warrant a disciplinary proceeding. In making their determination, the complaints committee may request additional information from either the complainant or the member. A copy of any such additional information provided by a party will, if the matter proceeds to a disciplinary hearing, be provided by the Society to the other party prior to the date of the hearing.
If the ethics committee concludes that a disciplinary hearing is not warranted, both parties are informed of such determination and the matter is closed.
If the ethics committee determines that a disciplinary hearing is warranted, then the Society shall notify the parties that a disciplinary hearing will take place. The notice of disciplinary hearing shall specify the date, time and method of the hearing.
Either party may submit such other written materials they wish to bring to the attention of the disciplinary committee, provided such additional materials are received at Society's headquarters by no later than 14 days preceding the hearing date.
The complainant and the member may participate in the disciplinary hearing with legal counsel and may produce such witnesses as they determine.
No stenographic transcript of such hearing shall be made.
The decision shall be issued to both parties as follows: phone the complainant and the accused and advise them of the decision. Additionally, the accused shall receive a PDF letter of the decision.