Question Should I report a Consensual Amorous Relationship? I am a lab research assistant at a public state medical school, and I have discovered that the head of the lab has a Consensual Amorous Relationship with another researcher at the lab. I found out that prior to joining the medical school, they both worked together at another private academic hospital having the same type of work and personal relationship. It is my understanding that being public state employees, they have a duty to prevent the conflict of interests, and that a Consensual Amorous Relationship between the lab director and the lab researcher clearly generates conflict of interest. Their is also an internal policy in place that requires that Consensual Amorous Relationships between an employee and direct supervisor,are required to be reported. I have a serious internal conflict in how about to solve my dilemma, Should I confront my supervisor and ask them to self-report, or should I proceed to report it directly?

Accepted:
February 4, 2010

Comments

To snitch or not to snitch? It depends on whether you think the rule on reporting such relationships is worth having, and if you do whether even then it is worth disrupting their professional lives by reporting it. Saying they have a duty to report it does not really show that they have a moral duty to report it, and it is your views on this moral issue that are relevant here.

Even if you thought they should report it, you might well not think it significant enough to confront them about or report them surreptitiously. Breaking the rules of an organization does not in itself establish guilt, you need to think about how valid those rules are, and if they are valid, how important if at all it is that they are enforced.