If you lost your disciplinary hearing at MIT, there's really no getting around it: you're in trouble. Maybe the school has suspended you, or worse, dismissed you entirely. That's not a good spot to be in.
Even at this point, though, there's still hope. You do have the right to appeal the outcome of your hearing. This is your last opportunity to save yourself, though, so you need to treat it seriously.
What does “treating it seriously” mean?
- It means letting everything else go by the wayside for the time being—classes, studying, extracurriculars.
- It means fully engaging in your defense—knowing the charges, understanding the judicial process, and working on your case every day.
- Most important of all, it means hiring the right legal representation to help you file and support your appeal.
At the Lento Law Firm, we created our Student Defense Team to protect students' rights. We want to do everything in our power to get you a reasonable shot at winning your case, graduating, and going on to a successful career. We know the law. We know how the MIT system works. No one else gives you a better chance at surviving this situation than a Lento Law Firm attorney.
It's vital that you call us immediately, though. MIT gives you just five days to file an appeal. Call 888-535-3686 today, or take time right now to fill out our online questionnaire.
Facing Facts
Here's where things stand.
- You were accused of violating school policy.
- You were investigated, and you had the opportunity to defend yourself at a formal hearing.
- The Committee on Discipline (COD) ruled that you were Responsible for (guilty of) an offense.
- The COD subsequently assigned you a sanction, likely suspension or dismissal.
Suspension and dismissal are devastating punishments in and of themselves. Both mean a disruption to your studies and an interruption in your academic progress. Keep in mind, though, that both of these sanctions are also noted on your transcript. That probably means your academic career is over, that you'll now have to head out onto the job market with no degree and perhaps a significant student loan debt. You can't even use the hours you've completed as part of job applications since that would mean having to explain why MIT saw fit to punish you.
There may be a long list of reasons why you lost your case. Students don't always take the charges against them seriously. Maybe you thought defending yourself would be a simple process or that, at worst, MIT would give you a slap on the wrist. Maybe you chose the wrong representation, a local or family attorney who just wasn't comfortable handling a university case.
The good news is that the case isn't necessarily over. MIT gives you the right to appeal the outcome of your hearing, at least in certain circumstances. Alternatively, you may be able to negotiate some type of settlement with MIT that will either allow you to avoid dismissal or, at least, to avoid a record of your infraction on your transcript. As your experience has demonstrated, though, you're going to need help, and you're going to need the right sort of help. At the Lento Law Firm, we aren't just attorneys. We focus on student issues and education law. You need an attorney from the Lento Law Firm on your side before you battle with MIT again.
The Appeals Process at MIT
MIT has built-in due process protections for students accused of misconduct. The point of these protections is to make sure justice is done, and innocent students don't wind up dismissed without cause. For instance, before your hearing, you were presumed "Not Responsible" (innocent). You had a chance to review the evidence against you, and MIT was required to notify you of all meetings and proceedings. You were allowed to choose an advisor, and you were allowed to select an attorney to serve as an advisor.
You have one important right remaining: the right to appeal the hearing outcome.
This right isn't boundless. For one thing, you are required to file within five days of learning the outcome of your original hearing. That doesn't give you much time to build the case for your appeal. In addition, you must have “grounds” for your appeal. The school won't simply review your case because you don't like the outcome. MIT offers four grounds for appeal:
- New evidence that has a direct bearing on the outcome;
- A mistake in the investigation or hearing procedures that may have affected the outcome;
- A hearing outcome that does not reflect the facts in the case;
- A sanction that is disproportionate to the severity of the offense;
There are additional limitations on appeals at MIT. All appeals must be made in writing. That is, you will not have a chance to present your case in person or to call witnesses. Ultimately, the appeals decision is in the hands of the Chancellor—one decision-maker rather than a panel of decision-makers.
These factors do not mean the situation is hopeless. Students can and do win cases on appeal. They do mean, however, that your appeal must be as strong as you can possibly make it. You need to have a persuasive argument and strong evidence to back up that argument. Your writing needs to be compelling.
The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm have written hundreds of appeals. We know exactly what decision-makers look for in these cases, which kinds of arguments are most effective, and what kind of evidence tends to be most convincing. We'll sit down with you and review the facts of the original case as well as records from the investigation and hearing and help you map out a plan that will give you the best possible chance of success.
Why the Lento Law Firm?
One of the advantages of hiring a Lento Law Firm attorney is that we have relationships with several General Council attorneys around the country. General Council attorneys provide colleges and universities like MIT with advice on legal issues.
As a result of these relationships, we are particularly attuned to the issues that motivate college and university decisions. In addition, we can sometimes leverage these relationships to initiate negotiations beyond appeals. In other words, even if your appeal should fail, we may be able to work out a settlement with MIT through their general council that will allow you to return to school or transfer elsewhere.
Fight For Your Future
We cannot promise to win your case. At this point, you are in a difficult situation. What we can promise you is that hiring the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team will give you the very best chance of success. Don't wait, though. You have a very small window in which to file your appeal.
Contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or use our online form.
