Q: A foundation hired me to start and help run a philanthropy club at the high school where I am a junior. We raise money for women’s health in Mexico. None of the other members are paid. Am I ethically wrong not to tell them (or colleges or future employers) that I am paid for work they might assume is voluntary?
– Anna Akullian, Berkeley, Calif.
A: I prefer to put this affirmatively: It is good to be open and honest in this situation (as in so many). There is nothing wrong with your being paid for a job that others do gratis. Some people help out at a soup kitchen, for instance, working alongside paid staff. But in such cases, everyone knows what they’re getting into. Club members can make a meaningful decision to do unpaid work only if they have an understanding of the circumstances, including yours. Such transparency gives them the information they need and allows you to avoid the queasy feeling of acting under false pretenses.
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Q: My brother, an eighth- grader in a school where I am a junior, gave a speech about the genocide in Darfur to his English class. His teacher and classmates chose him to present it to the entire grade. School administrators would not let him speak unless he removed a sentence containing the word “rape,” finding it inappropriate for 13-year-olds. Is this censorship, or does the school have a valid point?
– Name Withheld
A: It is reasonable for the school to consider what presentations are appropriate for students of various ages, but not every conclusion is wise. I would agree with those administrators if your brother were in kindergarten and illustrated his talk with horrifying photographs, but in his actual circumstances, “censorship” is an apt description – not in the sense of trying to cover up the atrocities of Darfur, but of foolishly trying to shield older students from harsh truths expressed in precise language.
A discussion of the ghastly events in Darfur must mention rape, lest the audience be significantly misinformed.
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Q: An 8-year-old distant cousin I’ve never met has Crohn’s disease. A doctor has started my relative on steroids, which can have side effects, some of which my relative is already experiencing. Through experience with a close companion, I’ve seen what dietary changes can accomplish. I believe the child needs to see a nutritionist. What responsibility do I have to pursue this?
– Name Withheld
A: Family ties can impose ethical obligations, but yours are too tenuous for that. You have neither the training nor the status that would incline those caring for your cousin to heed your advice. There’s no harm in your offering it, but I would be surprised if it were accepted.
Send questions and comments for Randy Cohen to Universal Press Syndicate, 4520 Main St., Kansas City, MO 64111, or ethicist@nytimes.com.
