If someone asks you to misrepresent the department's position to the public, what should you do?

• A. Agree to misrepresent.
• B. Ignore the request and say nothing.
• C. Refuse and report the request, upholding integrity.
• D. Publicly reveal internal disagreements to justify misrepresentation.

Answer: (C)

Upholding integrity means communicating truthfully and not assisting in deceptive practices. When someone asks you to misrepresent the department’s position to the public, the right response is to refuse and report the request through the proper channels. This protects trust, keeps the public informed accurately, and ensures concerns are handled by those who are authorized to address policy or misconduct. By declining and documenting what was asked, you create a record that supervisors or an ethics/compliance office can review, guiding appropriate corrective action or official clarification.

Agreeing to misrepresent violates ethical and potentially legal standards and can cause real harm to stakeholders and the department’s credibility. Ignoring the request may seem easier, but it can allow improper pressure to persist and you may become complicit through inaction. Publicly revealing internal disagreements to justify misrepresentation is not appropriate either, as it leaks confidential information and still does not solve the issue through proper governance channels.