Retention of Disciplinary Council records

[drepouille]

All paper and electronic records of disciplinary actions, including applications to the First Presidency, should be destroyed as soon as the presiding officer receives notification that these actions have been processed at Church headquarters. Destroy all other records that are no longer needed in such a way that they cannot be reconstructed.

Our confidential file in the stake president's locked credenza is full of records of disciplinary courts from all our wards and branches as well as the stake. Am I supposed to destroy all of them? They span many years, all the way back to the creation of our stake in 1999.

I am very nervous about destroying such records, but if they are on file at Church HQ, then I guess it is OK.

Thanks,
Dana

[aebrown]

I am very nervous about destroying such records, but if they are on file at Church HQ, then I guess it is OK.

I'd be very nervous about retaining such records. If they were properly submitted to CHQ and you received notification that they were received by CHQ, then you should follow policy and destroy them. If subsequent action is needed that requires the current presiding authority to access the reports of the original proceedings, they can be requested from CHQ.

[johnshaw]

with a minor tweak.... Formal Probation documentation is to be kept at the stake until the probation has ended. I don't know of a policy around what happens when they move out of the stake.

[TinMan]

I agree. In fact with the new "on line" reporting system, I don't even keep a hard copy of any disciplinary counsel minutes anymore. I only keep the letter that is written after the counsel that outlines conditions to have reinstatement. And only those letters that involve formal probation or disfellowshipment along with my notes I keep on those on informal probation. Once that ends, I shred them. Usually with the person I have been working with. It is a symbolic thing for me.