LTP VERIFIED™ APPEALS POLICY

Decisions Eligible for Appeal Applicants may appeal the following decisions: Denial of LTP Verified™ status Denial of Gold Verified™ status Denial of Legacy Verified™ status Suspension of accreditation Revocation of accreditation Placement on probation Renewal denial The following decisions are not subject to appeal: Disagreement with scoring alone Subjective opinions regarding organizational quality Decisions based on incomplete applications Failure to meet published eligibility requirements Grounds for Appeal Appeals must be based on one or more of the following: Procedural Error The applicant believes established review procedures were not properly followed. New Information Relevant information became available after the original review that could reasonably affect the outcome. Misinterpretation of Submitted Information The applicant believes documentation or evidence submitted during the review was misunderstood or incorrectly evaluated. Administrative Error An error in processing, documentation, or communication materially affected the decision. Filing an Appeal Appeals must be submitted within 30 calendar days of receiving the official decision. Appeals submitted after the deadline will not be considered unless extraordinary circumstances exist. Appeals must include: Completed Appeal Form Written explanation of the appeal Supporting documentation (if applicable) Any newly available evidence Contact information Review Process Upon receipt of a complete appeal: Step 1 – Administrative Review The Executive Secretary will confirm the appeal was submitted within the required timeframe and contains all required documentation. Step 2 – Accreditation Council Review The Accreditation Council will review: Original application Original evaluation Appeal documentation Supporting evidence Council members directly involved in the original decision may recuse themselves if a conflict of interest exists. Step 3 – Recommendation The Council will make one of the following recommendations: Uphold the original decision Modify the decision Return the application for additional review Request additional documentation Step 4 – Final Decision The Executive Director will issue the final written decision based upon the Council’s recommendation. All appeal decisions are final. Timeline Administrative Review: Within 10 business days Council Review: Within 30 business days Final Decision: Within 45 business days of receipt of a complete appeal. Applicants will be notified if additional time is required. Possible Outcomes An appeal may result in: Original decision affirmed Accreditation granted Accreditation reinstated Probation modified Additional review required Request for additional documentation The Accreditation Council may also recommend corrective actions before accreditation is granted or restored. During the Appeal Unless otherwise determined by the Accreditation Council: A denied applicant remains unverified during the appeal process. Organizations whose accreditation has been suspended or revoked may not represent themselves as LTP Verified™ while an appeal is pending. Organizations on probation remain subject to the terms of their probation until a final decision is issued. Conflict of Interest Any Accreditation Council member with a personal, professional, financial, or organizational conflict of interest regarding an appeal must disclose the conflict and recuse themselves from the review. The Executive Director may appoint an alternate reviewer if necessary to ensure an impartial review. Confidentiality Appeal materials are confidential and will only be reviewed by individuals directly involved in the appeal process. LTP Verified™ will not publicly disclose appeal documentation unless required by law or authorized in writing by the applicant. Finality of Decisions The decision issued following an appeal represents the final administrative action of the LTP Verified™ Accreditation Program. Applicants who remain ineligible after an appeal may submit a new application after addressing the identified deficiencies. Unless otherwise stated, a new application may be submitted 12 months after the date of the final appeal decision. Guiding Principle The LTP Verified™ Accreditation Program is founded on fairness, transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement. While not every application will result in accreditation, every applicant will receive a professional, respectful, and impartial review. Appeals exist to ensure that every decision reflects the standards and values of Let’s Talk Pageants and the integrity of the pageant community we proudly serve.