Ombudsperson

Clay Stewart will serve as the ombudsperson for the tournament. Should you have a protest, you should reach out to them at clay dot t dot stewart at gmail dot com.

Bylaw 4.3

1. 1. PETITION PROCESS

   1. The Georgia Forensic Coaches Association defines two types of petitions that can be lodged at the State Championship(s).

   1. Equity, Harassment & Discrimination: Any party seeking to petition regarding equity issues, harassment, discrimination and bullying at the GFCA State Championship(s) should submit an Equity petition. These are handled by the Equity Officer(s) in conjunction with the Executive Committee

   2. Procedure & Rules Infraction: Any party seeking to petition regarding an infraction of rules or procedures at the GFCA State Championship(s) should submit an ombudsperson petition. These are handled by the Ombudsperson and evaluated based primarily on procedures outlined in the Constitution and Bylaws.

   1. In addition to our rules and procedures, the Ombudsperson can also rely to an extent on the National Speech & Debate Association Unified Manual.

   2. Upon receipt of petitions at the State Championship(s), the Equity Officer(s) and/or Ombudsperson(s) will will notify all individuals and/or teams involved and conduct any research and interviews necessary in an attempt to gather all pertinent information regarding the perceived violation and then present the petition to only Executive Committee members for review.

   3. After the Executive Committee reaches a decision regarding the perceived violation in the petition, the Equity Officer(s) and/or Ombudsperson(s) will reply to the petitioner in writing. All petitions and petition resolutions, with personal information redacted, will be made available to the GFCA Member Schools annually to review and discuss at the Spring Meeting.

   4. Petitions of the Executive Committee’s action taken regarding a petition resolution will not be entertained. All decisions by the Executive Committee should be considered the final say on the matter.