128 GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE PURPOSE The SkillsUSA Massachusetts Championships Grievance Procedure provides a fair, prompt, and conflict-free process for addressing a specific rule violation, procedural or scoring/tabulation error, safety concern, or other documented competition irregularity during the SkillsUSA Massachusetts Championships. SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 6:00 PM A completed grievance must be submitted by 6:00 PM on the day of the contest. Late grievances will not be accepted except when required by applicable law or controlling SkillsUSA policy. BEFORE YOU FILE Review the current SkillsUSA Technical Standards, General Regulations, Massachusetts competition supplements, and any event-specific instructions that apply to the contest. A grievance must identify a specific rule, standard, procedure, scoring/tabulation issue, safety concern, conflict, bias, or other competition irregularity. Disagreement with subjective judging alone is not grounds for relief unless a rule, conflict, bias, or procedural irregularity is alleged. If a concern is serious enough that a student believes they must leave the contest area, the student should immediately notify the Event Manager or person in charge. The registered Chapter Advisor must review, authorize, and sign the grievance before submission. HOW TO FILE — 5 STEPS Complete the official Grievance Form. State the facts briefly and clearly. Identify the specific rule, Technical Standard, procedure, scoring issue, or safety concern involved. Attach supporting written material, if available, including the relevant Technical Standard or event instruction. Obtain the registered Chapter Advisor’s authorization and signature. Submit the completed form by 6:00 PM using the location or method announced in the Conference App or official advisor communications. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER SUBMISSION The grievance is logged and reviewed for completeness and timeliness. The Grievance Committee reviews the written grievance and may review score sheets, Technical Standards, official records, statements from the Technical Committee, Event Manager, or other relevant sources. The filing advisor and/or other relevant individuals should remain available after submission if additional information is requested. Meeting instructions will be communicated through official conference channels. A written decision will be issued as promptly as practicable. Any appeal or referral will follow the current SkillsUSA Massachusetts competition guide and Board policy. GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE COMMITTEE STRUCTURE The Grievance Committee serves as a subcommittee of the SkillsUSA Massachusetts Board of Directors and includes: • Three Board Members: one Grievance Committee Chair, one Recording Secretary, and one additional Board Member • Championships Director • Championships Associate Director • Advisor Representative • State Staff Member or Designee CONFLICT OF INTEREST Any committee member with a school, employer, family, coaching, mentoring, financial, or other material connection to the grievance must disclose the conflict and recuse themselves from review, deliberation, and decision- making. A disinterested replacement may be designated as needed to preserve the required committee composition and ensure a fair review process. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES Grievance Committee Chair — Board Member: Chairs the review, confirms recusals, directs requests for official records, and guides the committee toward a timely and impartial decision. Recording Secretary — Board Member: Records