My "Appeal"

[DeathOnReddit]

Wait, what?  I thought it went to the appeals team, not back to HO.  The whole point of an appeals team is to prevent having to deal with emotional inertia of the original decision-makers who, separate from unconscious bias, have demonstrated either an unwillingness or inability to handle this decision responsibly.  Because whether or not the decision to not contact me was intentional (sources conflict on that), it is undeniable that my side of the story was not even casually sought prior to making a decision.

No, the appeals committee does not decide whether or not to rescind your punishment. They're supposed to work with you to come up with an appeal that we then look at.
Kinda like the NFLPA.