The Impact of Off-Campus Actions on School Life in Alaska
Misconduct accusations can seriously affect your student's life in school, at home, and after graduation. However, accusations of off-campus misconduct can have a more disastrous effect, especially if the school is going outside its jurisdiction to punish your child. For example, if your child is punished by the school for misusing social media at home it will affect how other parents and students interact with your child, which can negatively impact their mental health.
Moreover, the school's disciplinary actions can be anything from detention and Saturday school to out-of-school suspensions, alternative education placements, or even expulsion. Your child needs a strong defense to help your family navigate the school disciplinary proceedings and mitigate any unnecessary consequences.
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team understands how overwhelming these accusations and proceedings can be, particularly when parents feel like the school is overstepping. Call 888-535-3686 today or schedule a consultation online.
You do not have to go through this alone. Lento Law Firm can help.
Navigating Off-Campus Misconduct and School Responses in Alaska Schools
Students tend to be aware that their behavior on school grounds can get them into trouble with the school, but most of the time, they are unaware that some of their off-campus behavior can also get them into trouble at school.
Misconduct unrelated to school:
While many actions and behaviors that occur off-campus can be related to the school, there are some that really have no relation but could still be disciplined by the school. For instance, at Brevig Mission School in the Bering Strait School District, students who are accused of bullying or harassing another student off-campus can be disciplined by the school for it, especially if it influences the victim student's education.
Misconduct tangentially related to school policies:
If the alleged off-campus conduct relates to one of the school's policies, the school will attempt to discipline them. These policies usually involve the following conduct:
- Inappropriately using the Internet or social media.
- Being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.
- Possessing, selling, or distributing illegal drugs or alcohol.
- Misusing medication or medical supplies.
In the Southwest Region School District, students cannot have weapons on campus or at school-sponsored events. If the school discovers that a student is brandishing a weapon off-campus but at an event that is related to the school, they can hold the student responsible.
Misconduct that directly involves the school, a school staff member, another student, or the school community:
When the student's off-campus misconduct directly involves the school, the school community, a member of their staff, or another student, the school can discipline them for it.
For instance, in the Lower Kuskokwim School District, students who are caught extorting, bullying, verbally abusing, intimidating, or physically assaulting another student or teacher can be disciplined by the school, even if the conduct happened off-campus. Furthermore, students who are caught participating in gang activity or stalking can also be disciplined by the school.
The only way to truly ensure your child is not being disciplined by the school for off-campus misconduct is to hire a skilled student defense attorney. Lento Law Firm is keenly aware of the issues children in Alaska face and what brings about off-campus misconduct accusations. They will work diligently to ensure your child is not being punished for false accusations but also for things outside the school or district's jurisdiction. Call our offices today.
Decoding Adjudication Approaches in Alaska Schools
While each school's response to off-campus misconduct may vary slightly, the state legislature clarifies that the school can discipline any off-campus misconduct resulting in a felony. Therefore, even if the actions that resulted in a felony occur off-campus, on the way to and from school or a school-sponsored event, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored event, they can be punished by the school.
When a school does punish a child for their off-campus behavior, whether it is a felony or not, they will follow specific steps. It is important for parents to be familiar with their school district's procedures prior to meeting with the school or district official to discuss the incident. By knowing what the school district can and cannot do before meeting them, you can spot any due process issues before they affect your child.
For instance, in the Anchorage School District, high schoolers are made aware that the school's jurisdiction for punishment applies to incidents that happen on school grounds, at school activities that are on or off school grounds, on school buses, and at school bus stops. In addition, the school also has jurisdiction for issues that begin on-campus but end off-campus, begin off-campus but end on-campus, will likely disrupt the educational atmosphere of the school, or will happen when the student is on the way to or from school.
The outcome of your child's disciplinary action in their Alaska school will depend on the nature of their misconduct, how it affected the school or educational environment, and whether a solid defense was presented on your child's behalf. When a child's defense is unsuccessful, the school's disciplinary action can negatively affect their lives in and outside of school. High school students who are punished for their off-campus misconduct with suspensions or expulsions will have to explain those punishments on their college applications, which could make it hard to get admitted. Elementary and middle school students will have to live with the stigma of these incidents and the ensuing punishment, which can seriously impact their future behavior.
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can help mitigate these negative consequences for your child by developing a solid defense. They will review the school district's policies to ensure the disciplinary proceedings are being fairly administered. In addition, they will contact the school and district on your child's behalf to try to negotiate prior to a disciplinary hearing.
How Misconduct Can Impact Your School Life in Alaska
Getting accused of misconduct, no matter the grade, can have an impact on your life. Unfortunately, many parents believe the incidents do not affect the child's life outside of school and end up not preparing a defense. When this happens, their children end up suffering the ramifications.
For instance, if an elementary school child is accused of harassing another student off-campus, their parents may come to the disciplinary meeting believing the school will simply make the student apologize. Instead, the school explained to the parents that this was not the only incident and that the child behaved similarly on campus. The school's decision is to place the child in an alternative education setting. Students who are placed in these settings are removed from their classroom – sometimes even their school altogether – and placed with other children with behavior issues. Alternative education settings have a host of issues, and in addition to making the child feel isolated, anxious, and frustrated, they can also severely inhibit their ability to learn.
Students in middle and high school may also be placed in alternative education settings, but the consequences are much costlier. Not only are the students prevented from interacting with their friend groups, which can cause severe mental health issues, but they may also have a hard time keeping up with their coursework and maintaining their grades. For middle and high school students, being unable to maintain their grades and succeed academically can negatively impact their ability to get into college or achieve the career they want.
Students who suffer from mental health issues because of these disciplinary actions tend to have more behavioral issues, making it hard to return to their regular classroom once the punishment ends. The constant cycle of frustration, upsetness, and lashing out or being misunderstood is exhausting and may start to change your child for the worse.
To ensure your student is not being subjected to punishments and consequences that could have been avoided, it is crucial to prepare for these disciplinary hearings or any other meeting. Working with a skilled student defense attorney is the only way to ensure the best possible outcome for your child's case. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team has helped students all over the United States figure out the best way to defend themselves from accusations of off-campus misconduct. They will work tirelessly to gather evidence and witness testimony to support their defense.
Guiding Your Child Through School Disciplinary Proceedings in Alaska
For the most part, parents want to believe in the best of their child's school, so they tend to think the disciplinary process will be straightforward and easy. They hope that their child will not be punished too harshly and decide not to prepare for the meeting and to not have legal counsel participate. However, what usually ends up happening for unprepared parents without present counsel is that the school's hearing officer overwhelms them with facts and standards, steamrolls the student's defense, and applies severe punishments on the student, such as suspension or expulsion.
For example, if a child is accused of using social media to send lewd or inappropriate photos from off-campus to another student, the receiving student's parents may meet with the school to request that the school punish the sending student. If the sending student's parents decide not to work with a student defense attorney and instead wing their child's defense, their child may be expelled. But if they had included an attorney, the student's punishment may have been a simple reprimand or having the accusation dismissed completely.
This is why it is so important you hire a team you can trust and place your confidence in. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team will stick by your side throughout the entire process, helping you:
- Review your child's school disciplinary policies and any relevant rules the school district or Alaska Department of Education might have. Lento Law Firm's goal is to ensure you know the exact misconduct your child is being accused of and how it will affect them if they are found responsible.
- Launch an investigation into the alleged off-campus misconduct. This investigation will also include a review of the district's motives. By conducting our own investigation, we can create a strategic defense for your child without having to rely on the information the school is willing to offer.
- Create a direct line of communication between yourself, the school, and school district officials. By doing so, they will create smoother negotiations and discussions before and between conferences or hearings.
- Gather relevant evidence, including documents and witness testimony, to help support your child's defense.
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team will advise your student on their rights and any appeals they may want to make afterward.
The Lento Law Firm is Ready to Help You Take Practical Steps to Defend Your Child's Future
Your child's well-being is the most important thing in your life. As such, allegations of misconduct that occur outside of the school can leave you overwhelmed and confused. Unfortunately, there are instances where your child's school will call you into a conference before telling you what it is about, preventing you from having counsel present during the conversation. Without the guidance of a skilled student defense attorney, many parents end up being persuaded to agree with whatever punishment the school has decided on without allowing the student to present their side of the story.
Students accused of off-campus misconduct have a right to present evidence and witness testimony to defend themselves. They should not be punished without having this opportunity. To ensure your child's due process rights are upheld and that the school follows its own published disciplinary action procedures, you must contact Lento Law Firm immediately. Call 888-535-3686 today or schedule a consultation online.
