The local chapter advisor should initially report disputes to the state office either in writing. All information must be available before a decision can be made. 

Competitive event disputes ultimately lie with the judge’s decisions.  DECA has a competitive event inquiry procedure which will allow us to make event improvements, but ultimately, it is the judge’s decisions regarding scoring that will govern any disputes.

Other disputes are presented to the state advisory committee, which will review the information and make a recommendation to the state advisor regarding appropriate and/or necessary action, which the state office may adhere to or override, depending on the facts, information, input from legal counsel, nonprofit best practices, DECA best practices and procedures, and/or insurance recommendations. However, with all situations, the state office will make the final determination.  In emergent situations, the state advisor may make the decision without input from the advisory committee.

If a local chapter wishes to pursue a dispute beyond the advisory board and/or the state advisor, it should correspond in writing to the appropriate representative of the grant-funded institution. In addition, a copy must be provided to the director of the Office of Career Readiness, New Jersey Department of Education, PO Box 500, Trenton, NJ, 08625.