Headquarters, Department of Services Gaming

Code of Disciplinary Action

Article 1: Purpose
The purpose of the Code of Disciplinary Action is to provide an accurate, up to date and complete list of
charges that any member can file on another member in the event that they feel one of the rules of this
organization has been broken. Furthermore, it is to establish a general code of conduct for behavior
inside and outside of roleplays and in between members.

Article 2: Definitions
For the purpose of this document, the following terms and abbreviations that are used within mean as
follows:
● BDA - Board of Disciplinary Action
● ACiC LDA - Assistant Commissioner in Charge of Legal and Disciplinary Action
● A LDA - Advisor of Legal and Disciplinary Action
● CDA - Code of Disciplinary Action
● DACP - Disciplinary Action Complaint Process
● Plaintiff - The person who files the complaint
● Defendant - The person whom the complaint is filed against
● DOS - Department of Services

Article 3: The Disciplinary System within DOS

Section 1: Board of Disciplinary Action
The Board of Disciplinary Action consists of 2 members charged with the responsibility of investigating
cases, submitting reports and evidence & holding disciplinary hearings. The members of the BDA are as
follows:
● Assistant Commissioner in Charge of Legal and Disciplinary Action - This person is charged with
directing the BDA, presiding over disciplinary hearings and issuing the appropriate consequence
for whatever charges that are found to be legitimate and the recommendation of the A LDA. This
person is the sole member of DOS Command Staff that is permitted to invoke and/or revoke a
punishment and/or consequence on a member for a violation of the Code of Disciplinary Action,
other than the Commissioner himself.
● Advisor of Legal and Disciplinary Action - This person is charged with investigating disciplinary
complaints and filing the appropriate reports, submitting evidence and recommending a
consequence with each case that they are given by the ACiC LDA. They are also responsible for
providing their statement, report and evidence to the BDA in disciplinary hearings.

Section 2: Disciplinary Action Complaint Process

1. When you feel that you have been wronged or the CDA has been violated, you fill out a complaint
form which can be found on DOSHQ.com on the “Forms and Resources” page
2. You fill out the report as accurately as possible and as truthful as possible
3. You submit the report and wait as the BDA reviews your complaint
4. The BDA will review your complaint and will contact you to inform you of the status of your
complaint.
5. If your complaint is found to be legitimate, the BDA will assign an A LDA to your complaint who
will in turn investigate your complaint as much as they can within their scope

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6. Once the A LDA has completed their investigation, they will file a report regarding their findings,
any evidence they were given or that was discovered and their recommendation for a
consequence.
7. The A LDA will submit their report, evidence and recommendation to the ACiC LDA who will
review their report, evidence and recommendation to determine if the complaint is worthy of a
disciplinary action hearing.
a. If a hearing is to occur, the BDA will inform all parties of the hearing and will request their
presence at their earliest convenience.
b. If the complaint is not worthy of a trial, the ACiC LDA will issue a consequence based on
the CDA and the recommendation of the A LDA.
During the complaint process, all plaintiffs and all defendants listed on the complaint will be updated via
email when the complaint process has reached a milestone. Those milestones are as follows:
1. Complaint Received
2. Request for Interview/Statement
3. Completion of Investigation & Hearing Notice (if applicable)
4. Sentencing Notice & Appeal Notice (if applicable)
5. Close of Case Notice
All complaints are required to have supporting documentation. Therefore, for a complaint to receive
official action, a complaint must be filed. However, the plaintiff is not the only one that can file a
complaint. Any member who witnesses a potential violation and feels that the CDA has been violated
may file a complaint and list themselves as the plaintiff, even if they have not been personally wronged.

Section 3: Your Rights as a Member

1. You as a member have the right to participate in any DOS sanctioned activities provided that you
are in good standing and are not currently subject to any disciplinary action.
2. You as a member have the right to file a complaint via the complaint form when you feel you have
been wronged or when you feel the CDA has been violated.
3. You as a member have the right to have your respective department head present when being
interviewed by the BDA or one of its members
4. You as a member have the right to request a formal hearing when you are charged with a
violation of the CDA
5. You as a member have the right to appeal any disciplinary action taken against you by requesting
an appeal hearing before the BDA.

Section 4: Your Responsibilities as a Member

1. You have the responsibility of telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth when
being interviewed or when going before the BDA
2. You have the responsibility of being completely honest when filing a complaint against another
member
3. You have the responsibility of ensuring that your complaint is as accurate and as detailed as
possible in order for the DACP to move forward in a timely and thorough manner

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Section 5: Disciplinary Action Hearings

Any member may request a hearing in regards to their complaint, whether they are the plaintiff or
defendant. A hearing may also occur if the BDA determines that complaint if worthy of a hearing.
Hearings are conducted in the same way that a hearing may be conducted by a United States Court. For
more information regarding United States Court Procedure, please visit:
http://www.uscourts.gov/file/18073/download

Section 6: Appeals to Disciplinary Action

Any member may request an appeal hearing once disciplinary action is taken against you. Members are
advised to prepare a case in favor of their appeal prior to requesting an appeal. Once a member requests
an appeal hearing, they may state their case before the BDA and the Commissioner of the Department of
Services. The aforementioned parties will then convene to decide whether or not the appeal will affect
the member's disciplinary standing.

Section 7: Application of the Disciplinary Action system

The Code of Disciplinary Action and everything contained within only apply to official DOS activities that
are hosted by those that are authorized to host official DOS activities, as outlined within the Operational
Policies. In unofficial activities including, but not limited to, impromptu roleplays, member hangouts, etc.,
the CDA does not apply in any capacity. However, the following charges can be filed outside of an official
scenario:
● Harassment and/or Bullying
● Sexual Harassment
● Conspiracy against DOS
● Breach of Trust
● Insubordination
● Impersonation
● Discrimination
● Uttering Threats

Section 8: Inappropriate Use/Abuse of the Disciplinary System

Inappropriate Use and/or Abuse of the Disciplinary Action system includes, but is not limited to:
● False Complaints - Filing charges against another member that are not applicable or that the
member is not liable for
● Excessive Complaints - Filing charges against another member numerous times in an attempt to
force excessive or unusual punishment upon them
● Humerus/In-Jest Complaints - Filing charges against another member for the sake of humor
and/or public humiliation of the member
● Harassing Complaints - Filing charges against a member with the hope of getting them fired
● Emotionally Charged Complaints - Filing charges against a member as a result of personal
emotions rather than professional judgement
Any inappropriate use and/or abuse of the disciplinary action system will warrant an immediate denial of
the complaint and, in turn, will warrant charges being filed against the abuser for Inappropriate Use and/or
Abuse of the Disciplinary Action system. However, it must be understood that different people may

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perceive and/or interpret things differently and some people may become offended about something that
the other party may not. We advise all members to think critically about their complaint and whether it
needs to be filed or if it can be resolved in person.

Section 9: Cancellation of Complaints

Once a complaint has been filed, it cannot be deleted, redacted or changed unless the complaint is found
to be illegitimate. No member should knowingly and/or willingly file a complaint that they intend to request
to be deleted, redacted or changed at any point.

Section 10: Department Disciplinary Action

In the event of a violation of the “job-specific” regulations that each branch with DOS must abide by,
respectively, the Board of Disciplinary Action will convene the respective commission for that branch,
which is made up of the respective department heads of that branch, the investigator responsible for that
case and the ACiC LDA, who serves as the Chairman of the Commission. However, the ACiC LDA’s
presence is strictly to act as a mediator and to ensure that all policies and procedures are being followed.
It is the responsibility of the commission to appropriately handle the proceedings of the hearing and to
ensure that the consequence given (if any) is appropriate and authorized by the ACiC LDA. For more
information on “job-specific” regulations, consult the Operational Policies for the appropriate link to the
Regulations and/or Protocols.

Section 11: Enforcement

The CDA is expected to be understood and upheld by all members who hold themselves and their fellow
members accountable. Any member may remind someone that they may be violating the CDA by
partaking in certain verbiage and/or action, but they may not reprimand them. Furthermore, DOS
Command Staff is responsible for enforcing any decisions that have been handed down by the BDA in
full, regardless of personal opinion and/or affiliation while within any official DOS setting.

Section 12: Statute of Limitations

Any charge listed below must be filed within 48 hours of its occurrence to ensure that any evidence and/or
recollection of the event doesn’t become tainted, lost, forgotten, etc. After that time, the complaint will not
be investigated.

Section 13: Statements

All statements submitted for a case must be truthful and honest in regards to the situation in question. All
statements will be formally requested (unless provided in the complaint) via email. Statements may be
taken via one of the following methods:
● Instant Messenger (i.e. Kik, Facebook)
● Email
● “In Person” Settings (i.e. Xbox, Playstation, Zello, Teamspeak, Skype)
All written statements will be recorded as is in the report. All verbal statements will be paraphrased in the
report and will be both read back and confirmed by whoever provided the statement to ensure clarity and
correctness.

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Section 14: Evidence

Evidence may be submitted by the plaintiff(s), defendants(s) and/or witness(es) to reinforce their
statement and the case as a whole. No one is compelled to submit evidence but doing so may help. The
following types of evidence may be submitted:
● Photos*
● Videos*
● Screenshots of Messages, Emails*
● Audio Recordings*
*Expectation of Privacy - These types of evidence may be deemed inadmissible if the expectation of
privacy was violated. Any scenario where an individual or two individuals are alone and secure and no
one else can oversee, overhear, interject themselves and/or witness what is being said and/or done
constitutes an expectation of privacy. Any scenario where more than two people are present does not
constitute an expectation of privacy. These situations include (but are not limited to) games with more
than 2 people and/or group chats (IM or voice).

Article 4: Offenses that Warrant Disciplinary Action

Section 1: Classification of Offenses
● Class 1 - Any offense marked as a Class 1 Offense is equivalent to an infraction and warrants no
serious disciplinary action other than what can be classified as a “slap on the wrist” or a warning.
Furthermore, Class 1 offenses fall into the “3 strike rule” system, meaning that 3 Class 1 offenses
will be automatically upgraded to a Class 2 offense.
● Class 2 - Any offense marked as a Class 2 Offense is equivalent to a misdemeanor and warrants
an immediate suspension ranging between 2 weeks. Furthermore, Class 2 offenses fall into the
“3 strike rule” system, meaning that 3 Class 2 Offenses will be upgraded to a Class 3 offense.
● Class 3 - Any offense marked as a Class 3 Offense is equivalent to a felony and warrants an
immediate suspension of 1 month. Furthermore, Class 3 offenses fall into the “3 strike rule”
system, meaning that 3 Class 3 Offenses will result in immediate termination
● Class 4 - Any offense marked as a Class 4 offense is equivalent to a federal offense and warrants
immediate termination from DOS.

Section 2: Consequences
Consequences can vary depending on the seriousness of your charges. However, the basic outline of
consequences are as follows:
Class of Type of Consequence Definition
Offense/Equivalent Consequence

1 (1+ if upgraded) Warning Verbal or written warning

Upgrade to Minor If upgraded, the member faces a suspension from all

Suspension official DOS activities for a predetermined amount of
time (2 weeks per charge)

2 (2+ if upgraded) Minor Suspension Suspended from all official DOS activities for

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predetermined amount of time (2 weeks per charge)

If upgraded, length of suspension increases (4 weeks

Upgrade to Major per charge)
Suspension

3 (3+ if upgraded) Major Suspension Suspended from all official DOS Activities for
predetermined amount of time (4 weeks per charge)

If upgraded, the member will be barred from all DOS

Upgrade to activities indefinitely.
Termination

4 Termination Fired from any and all roles within DOS and barred
from all DOS activities indefinitely.

Section 3: Conditions
If the defendant on a complaint is found guilty of the charges filed against them, certain conditions will be
added to their consequence. These conditions include, but are not limited to:
● Revocation of Access to Official DOS Documentation
● Revocation of Access to Official DOS Communications Channels
● Revocation of Rank or Leadership Responsibilities
● Revocation of Participation in Special Activities

Section 4: Class 1 Offenses

The following are defined as Class 1 Offenses that will warrant a warning with a possible upgrade to a
minor suspension:
● Excessive Chatter on Radio Frequencies - Any member who uses official radio communications
channels including but not limited to: Zello, Game Chat, Party Chat, etc. in excess can be
charged with this offense
● Unruly Behavior on Communication Channels - Any member who uses official communications
channels including but not limited to: Facebook, Zello, Game Chat, Party Chat, Skype, etc. in a
manner that makes other members feel uncomfortable, bullied, harassed, angered or saddened
can be charged with this offense
● Malicious Damage to Property - Any member who knowingly and/or willingly destroys in game
property in any way, shape, form or fashion can be charged with this offense
● Misconduct in Game - Any member who behaves in a manner that is contrary to what is outlined
to their role or by knowingly and/or willingly disregards previously set forth protocols or orders can
be charged with this offense
● Unauthorized Kick of a Member - Any member who willingly and/or knowingly votes to kick a
member from a game session without prior authorization from the host of the session can be
charged with this offense

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Section 5: Class 2 Offenses

The following are defined as Class 2 Offenses that will warrant a minor suspension with a possible
upgrade to a major suspension:
● Failure to Kick as Instructed - Any member who willingly and/or knowingly does not vote to kick a
member from a game when instructed by the host of the session can be charged with this offense
● Insubordination - Any member who knowingly and/or willingly refuses to follow an order from a
superior and/or decides to knowingly and/or willingly disregard their superiors position within the
chain of command and reports to their superior officers superior or higher may be charged with
this offense
● Impersonation - Any member who attempts to pass themselves off as something that they are not
i.e. a higher rank, a member of a certain department or a DOS member when they are not may
be charged with this offense.
● Inappropriate Use and/or Abuse of the Disciplinary Action System - Any member who knowingly
and/or willingly abuses the disciplinary action system in any of the ways listed above may be
charged with this offense.
● Discrimination - Any member who knowingly and/or willingly performs or verbalizes any form of
discrimination may be charged with this offense.**

**Discrimination Policy - The Department of Services does not discriminate upon the basis of age, race,
religion, gender, sexual orientation, political affiliation, physical impairment or psychological impairment.
If you feel you have been discriminated against, please file a complaint immediately.

Section 6: Class 3 Offenses

The following are defined as Class 3 Offenses that will warrant a major suspension with a possible
upgrade to termination:
● General Harassment and/or Bullying - Any member who knowingly and/or willingly harasses
and/or bullies another member for any reason can be charged with this offense
● Uttering Threats - Any member who threatens another member in any way, shape, form or
fashion can be charged with this offense
● Sexual Harassment - Any member who knowing and/or willingly harasses another member or
makes another member feel uncomfortable due to comments, jokes or other harassing behaviors
of a sexual nature may be charged with this offense.

Section 7: Class 4 Offenses

The following are defined as Class 4 Offenses that will warrant immediate termination:
● Conspiracy against the Department of Services - Any member who knowingly and/or willingly
conspires against DOS with the intention of damaging the infrastructure and/or operations in any
way may be charged with this offense
● Breach of Trust - Any member who knowingly and/or willingly violates the Confidentiality Policy or
proves to be untrustworthy in any way may be charged with this offense.***

***Confidentiality Policy - The Department of Services maintains records and documentation that contains
sensitive or private information that is only to be seen by those who have been given clearance to view

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and/or make changes. These documents and/or records are not to be shared with anyone who does not
have the proper clearance, nor with anyone outside of the Department of Services.

Section 8: Violations of the Terms & Agreements

The Department of Services is formed around the “Terms & Agreements”, which dictate the administrative
policies, procedures, rules and regulations that govern the way that DOS is run administratively. Any
violation of the “Terms & Agreements” will be deemed either no lower than a Class 2 offense and no
higher than a Class 3 offense.

Section 9: Violations of the Operational Policies

The Department of Services is also formed around the “Operational Policies”, which dictate the
operational policies, procedures, rules and regulations that govern the way that DOS is run operationally.
Any violation of the “Terms & Agreements” will be deemed either no lower than a Class 2 offense and no
higher than a Class 3 offense.

Section 10: Three Strikes Policy/Complaint Trends

Any member who is charged with multiple counts of the same offense (any Class) more than once or
multiple charges within the same class (Class 2 or higher, with the exception of upgraded Class 1
offenses) more than once will fall subject to the Three Strike Policy, which dictates that for each time one
of the above circumstances is in play, the member will receive a “strike” against their name. When the
member reaches strike three, they are immediately subject to possible termination or forced resignation
from DOS.

Section 11: Minor Complaints

No member should file a complaint for anything that is not listed above. If your complaint is not listed
above or cannot successfully be tied to a charge listed above, it is expected that the member be able to
handle the situation on their own. This includes, but is not limited to, friendly harassment, making
non-discriminatory jokes or other behaviors that are juvenile or childish in nature. If you have any
questions regarding the validity or legitimacy of a charge, contact the ACiC LDA who will provide you with
further instructions. It is advised that all members think critically before filing a complaint.

Section 12: Unlisted Charges

Any member who feels that whatever has happened to them is not listed or can be successfully tied to a
charge may file a complaint. However, the BDA will review it just like any other case and if they feel that it
can’t be tied to a charge or is not listed as is but is still worthy of disciplinary action, they will investigate it
and after the case is closed, the charge may become listed. If you have any questions regarding the
validity or legitimacy of a charge, contact the ACiC LDA who will provide you with further instructions.

Section 13: Violation within a Complaint

If a complaint is filed and a violation of the CDA is found within the complaint itself, the statements and/or
the evidence provided or at any point during the investigation, the party that committed the violation will
be charged separately. It will be the decision of the BDA as to whether or not the violation within the
complaint invalidates the complaint, which will be judged on a complaint by complaint basis.

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Section 14: Charged by Proxy

If a complaint is filed and more than one defendant is listed for the same violation, that party may be
charged by proxy if they partook in the committing of the violation and/or did nothing to deter and/or stop
the violation from happening and/or continuing.

Article 5: Recordkeeping & Documentation

Section 1: Disciplinary Records
Records regarding the disciplinary history of members is kept by the ACiC LDA. The records dictate any
charges that have been filed against each member, the charges that the defendant has been found guilty
of and consequences that have been issued. This record can be called into question during disciplinary
hearings. This record is confidential and is only shared within the BDA and the Commissioner of the
Department of Services.

Section 2: Disciplinary Documentation

The CDA serves as the primary source of information in regards to any disciplinary related inquiries.
Other documentation in regards to disciplinary action include, but are not limited to, evidence reports from
investigations, witness statements, final investigation reports, findings of the BDA and meeting minutes of
hearings and trials. These documents are confidential but may be released upon authorization from the
plaintiff and defendant in each case.

Section 3: Disciplinary Forms

The primary form for disciplinary action is the complaint form. This form is to be used for any member to
file a complaint in regards to a violation of the CDA. No other means of complaints are accepted. The
records from form submissions are confidential but will appear in the final investigation report.

Article 6: Accountability & Transparency

In an attempt to hold ourselves accountable to the membership, the BDA will make all case materials
including (but not limited to) reports, evidence and complaint records available to all parties involved in a
complaint once the report has been filed in full, the hearing and the appeals have been completed (if
applicable) and the case has been closed.

Article 7: Compliance with United States Laws

Seeing the the Department of Services is a United States based organization, any applicable laws, codes
and ordinances are applicable to all members and proceedings within DOS. DOS agrees to comply with
all applicable regulations and its enforce those regulations upon its members to the best of our ability. All
applicable regulations apply to all members within DOS, regardless of national origin or current nation of
residence.

Section 1: Compliance with United States Code

DOS has no intention of stripping or prohibiting our members from exercising their ensured rights given by
the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights and United States Code. However, the leadership of
DOS has determined that certain restrictions have to be set forth in order to prevent the disruption of our

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day to day operations. The restriction is applicable across all applicable rights: exercising one's rights
should be done in an unofficial forum or in a private forum outside of normal operating channels and
should not in any way, shape, form or fashion, disrupt the operations of the Department of Services.

Section 2: Compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
As of 01/01/2016, DOS has enforced regulations set forth by the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act
(COPPA) upon its members. The law is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission and enforces
regulations regarding online collection of personal information from minors under the age of 18. In order
to enforce these regulations to the best of our ability, DOS has set forth an age restriction to apply and to
join DOS, which is 13 years of age. However, due to the informal nature of our organization, we have no
means of collecting proof of age from prospective members. To date, it is unclear as to if we can collect
any applicable information or documentation pertaining to this matter. Any member who knowingly and/or
willingly violates the regulations of the COPPA laws will be charged with the equivalent of a Class 3
offense or higher. To learn more about the COPPA laws, please visit:
https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/complying-coppa-frequently-asked-questions

Section 3: Compliance with the Stolen Valor Act

Stolen Valor is defined as attempting to pass oneself off as a member of the United States Armed Forces
and/or fraudulently representing being awarded any decoration or ribbon that one has not earned or been
given. Any member who knowingly and/or willingly commits stolen valor will be charged with the
equivalent of a Class 3 offense or higher. To learn more about the Stolen Valor Act, please visit:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/704

Section 4: Compliance with US Copyright Law

Copyright is a term that carries weight that many cannot comprehend. It is defined as ​the exclusive ​right
to make ​copies​, license, and otherwise exploit a literary, musical, or artistic work, whether printed, audio,
video, etc.:works granted such ​right​ by law on or after January 1, 1978, are protected for the lifetime of
the author or creator and for a period of 70 years after his or her death. Pursuant to Title 17 of United
States Code, all copyrightable aspects are copyrighted. Therefore, use of any materials, verbiage,
documentation, pictures, etc. without the express written consent of the Department of Services will result
in a Cease and Desist order followed by official and/or legal action. To learn more about copyright laws,
please visit:
https://www.copyright.gov/title17/title17.pdf

Article 8: Shared Use

In the gaming community, use of other organizations’ materials is common but is looked down upon in the
interest of creativity and workmanship. However, we realize that this does happen and would like help
our fellow communities. Therefore, if you would like to utilize our Code of Disciplinary Action for your
organization, please send an email to ​contact@doshq.com​ and state that you would like to use the CDA
for your organization. We will reply to you as soon as possible. Please wait until you hear from us to use
the CDA. If you are approved, please make the necessary changes to ensure that your organization's
information is clearly differentiated from what is included in our CDA. Furthermore, you will be required to
state “Permitted for Shared Use by the Department of Services” and the date you were approved. If you

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use the CDA for your organization without our permission, you will be subject to the provisions outlined in
the Copyright section above.

Article 9: Authorization
Effective 01/01/2017, the above goes into effect. The above Code of Disciplinary Action has been
reviewed by the Commissioner of the Department of Services and approved by the same as well as the
Board of Assistant Commissioners. Any previous version or rendition of the Code of Disciplinary Action is
hereby null and void, regardless of presence or availability.

Submitted for Review on ​Wednesday, November 16th, 2016

Reviewed by CHIEFMIKE01 on ​Thursday, November 17th, 2016
Approved via vote of the Board of Assistant Commissioners on ​Friday, November 18th, 2016
Members Notified of Change on ​Friday, November 18th, 2016
Became Effective on ​Sunday, January 1st, 2017
Last Revision was made on ​Sunday, May 13th, 2018

Signed by:
AmericanMinion5
Assistant Commissioner in Charge,
Legal and Disciplinary Action

CHIEFMIKE01
Commissioner,
Department of Services

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