MSMTA

Rules for Dispute Resolution

1. In the event that any competition participant has cause to believe that irregularities occurred, the competition Chair must be notified as soon as possible, and before the judges begin their final deliberations, so that any remedies can be instituted before the competition results are finalized. Anyone who fails to bring any such allegations to the attention of the Chair prior to such time will be deemed to have waived any cause of action. Irregularities include, among other situations, any event or action by any person that may unfairly distract or influence the judges' decisions or which may put any competition participant at an unfair disadvantage with regard to other participants, an unfair bias or lack of competence on the part of any judge, and violation of any MSMTA Rules or Bylaws. In addition, these procedures are intended for any disputes between MSMTA members.
2. If any competition participant makes an allegation to the Chair about irregularities or unfair actions regarding the fairness of the competition in a timely manner as prescribed above, the Chair must immediately gather all known facts of such alleged incident and discuss with the judges if appropriate. The Chair has broad discretion to take any corrective action before the judges begin their deliberations. The Chair must investigate and attempt to resolve any other sorts of irregularities, such as disputes between competition participants, in a timely manner.
3. The Chair must then notify the President of the alleged irregularities and any actions taken, within one week of the Competition. If the Chair makes or conveys any allegations of violations of any Rule or Bylaw, then the President must proceed in accordance with Article XIII, Section 2 of the Bylaws. Any reports, notes or relevant evidence will be kept by both the Chair and the President for not less than one year.
4. Any competition participant who remains unsatisfied with the Chair's decisions or actions must proceed in accordance with Paragraphs 9-11 of these Rules.