The Impact of Off-Campus Actions on School Life in DC
Any accusations of misconduct can significantly impact your student's experience at school. Even if the supposed conduct occurs off campus, the school can still try to hold the student responsible for the behavior. For instance, if your child is accused of sharing inappropriate photos of another student on their social media, the school will try to discipline them.
Disciplinary actions could mean requiring your student to attend detention or Saturday school or result in having your child suspended or expelled. No matter what punishment they decide on, it can have significant consequences on your child's mental, emotional, and physical health, as well as their future prospects. The best thing you can do is hire a skilled student defense attorney to help your child navigate these proceedings and mitigate any unnecessary consequences they may be facing.
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team understands how overwhelming such accusations can be and will work diligently to ensure your child can defend themselves. Call 888-535-3686 today or schedule a consultation online. Lento Law Firm can help.
Navigating Off-Campus Misconduct and School Responses in DC Schools
While students are usually aware that their behaviors on campus can get them in trouble, they don't usually realize that their off-campus behaviors can also get them in trouble with their school. That being said, only certain behaviors that occur off-campus give schools the right to punish students.
Misconduct unrelated to school:
Several activities that have no relation to the school, like assault and battery, property damage, or breaking and entering, may still sustain disciplinary action by the school. For instance, at Frank W. Ballou High School, behaviors are broken up into different tiers. If a student commits any action, even off-campus, that disrupts the academic environment or causes harm to another person in the school, the school has every right to discipline the child for it.
Misconduct tangentially related to school policies:
Some off-campus conduct can get students into trouble with the school because it somehow relates to one of the schools or the school district's policies. Such conduct typically includes:
- Using the Internet inappropriately.
- Possessing, selling, or distributing illegal drugs or alcohol.
- Being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.
- Misusing medication or medical supplies.
- Social media posts.
For example, at Eastern High School, students and teachers are expected to use social media appropriately. If a student is caught misusing social media or technology in any way, such as uploading hateful or defamatory posts about another student or staff member, the school can hold them accountable. Even if the posting happens at home, the student can still be disciplined.
Misconduct that directly involves the school, a school staff member, another student, or the school community:
If the student's off-campus behavior directly affects or involves the school, a staff member, or another student or happens at a school-sponsored function or while traveling to or from school or a school-sponsored function, the school can discipline a student for it.
For instance, at Columbia Heights Educational Campus, students can be disciplined for any action that would be punishable by law, including drug violations, sexual assaults, batteries, weapon offenses, or felonies that occur off-campus.
Working with a skilled student defense attorney from the moment your child is accused of committing off-campus misconduct is the best way to ensure your child is not being unnecessarily punished. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team will review the accusations and the school's policies to determine whether the school has any right to punish your child for the supposed misconduct. If they believe the school does not have any right to punish your child, they will negotiate with the school to try to have the accusations dismissed immediately. Call today for help.
Decoding Adjudication Approaches in DC Schools
The response to off-campus misconduct will vary from school to school, but the entire district agrees that any misconduct that would be considered a felony can be disciplined. So, even if the conduct happens off-campus, at a school-sponsored event, or on the way to and from school or a school-sponsored event, the school can punish the student for it.
When a child is punished for their off-campus behavior, the disciplinary process will follow specific steps. These steps might change from school to school, so it is a good idea to become familiar with your particular district and school's policies. Below are a few examples of how schools in DC might respond to your child's off-campus behaviors:
- Students at Stoddert Elementary School students who are accused of misconduct that happened off-campus and is not related to the school in any way may still get suspended because the misconduct targeted another student and greatly disrupted the educational environment.
- Additionally, students at Hardy Middle School can be suspended for up to ten days for bullying another student, even if it occurs off-campus. This includes cyberbullying and other kind of humiliating or intimidating language or behavior.
- Further, students at Bard High School Early College can be suspended for discriminating against other students, teachers, or staff, even if it occurs off-campus. If accused and found responsible for such misconduct, the student could be subjected to in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, or expulsion.
The result of your child's disciplinary action will depend on the severity of the behavior, how it affected the school, and whether or not your child was able to defend themselves appropriately.
If your child is unsuccessful in defending themselves, the school's punishment can have serious consequences for their entire lives. For instance, if the student is in high school, the disciplinary action will be noted on their transcripts. When they get to apply to a new school or college, they will have to explain the punishment, which can greatly impact their ability to get admitted.
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team will review the school's policies, as well as the school district and Department of Education's laws, and determine whether the disciplinary proceeding is fair. They will also contact the school on your child's behalf and develop a strategic defense to the purported claims. Trying to pursue a defense on your own is extremely stressful. Let Lento Law Firm help.
How Misconduct Can Impact Your School Life in DC
It does not matter what grade you are in. If you are accused of misconduct, it can greatly affect your life on campus. However, most parents think that such actions will not have far-reaching consequences and decide not to present a solid defense to the accusations. When this happens, students are forced to endure negative consequences for no reason.
Common consequences that students disciplined for off-campus misconduct experience include being forced into an alternative education placement, losing on-campus privileges, and being separated from their classmates and friends. For instance, a student can be prevented from attending school dances or football games, forced to spend their days in in-school suspension or be removed to an alternative education placement where they are less likely to keep up with their coursework and maintain their grades. Moreover, when students are returned to their regular classrooms, they may find it hard to catch up with the classwork or participate in their classes. These kinds of punishments can not only force students to fall behind but can also make them feel self-conscious, humiliated, or embarrassed.
Self-conscious students tend to have more behavioral issues than other students, who have an easier time returning to the classroom after disciplinary action. Furthermore, these students tend to develop anxiety, depression, and other physical manifestations of their stress, which will inhibit them from getting the most out of school for the rest of their time there.
There are also significant issues that can develop for students in elementary school or middle school, including being placed on probation and prohibited from participating in recess or other friendship-building experiences. Kindergarten through eighth grade is an incredibly important time for students to create friendships, hone their social skills, and learn to manage their growing responsibilities. If a student is prevented from taking part in these experiences, it can feel incredibly isolating.
To ensure your child is not being subjected to avoidable complications, it is important to work with a skilled and creative student defense attorney. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team has helped students nationwide determine how to best defend themselves from off-campus misconduct accusations. They will leverage this experience to draft a strategic defense on your child's behalf, hopefully alleviating any harmful experiences your child may face.
Guiding Your Child Through School Disciplinary Proceedings in DC
Usually, parents believe that their child's school will provide them with an easy disciplinary process. However, what usually happens is that parents show up to the disciplinary proceedings unprepared for a much harsher experience, which results in worse consequences for their child.
For instance, if a child is accused of inappropriate social media use that occurred off-campus, a parent might show up intending to prove to the school that the off-campus behavior is not under their purview. Instead of hiring an attorney to help them create a case around this position, the parent tries to wing their defense and ends up proving that the conduct does fall within the school's disciplinary responsibility. Rather than helping their child, their actions actually get the child into more trouble.
As such, it is important to hire a team you can be confident in. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team will help you with the following:
- Go over the school's disciplinary policies and any relevant policies the school district or DC Department of Education may have in place. Their goal is to make sure you are aware of what your child is being accused of and how these accusations will affect them and your family.
- Start an investigation into the supposed misconduct. They will also look into the district's motives. The point of conducting our own investigation is to create a solid defense on your child's behalf without having to rely on the information the school is willing to release to you.
- 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.
Likewise, the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team will also advise your child on their rights and any appeals they may want to pursue later.
The Lento Law Firm is Ready to Help You Take Proactive Steps to Protect Your Child's Future
Your child is the most important part of your life. When the school accuses them of off-campus misconduct, it can be hard to determine what steps to take first and who to trust. Sometimes, the school will even call you in for a conference without telling you what it is about, forcing you to discuss it without counsel present. When you show up without counsel, the school will try to gaslight you into agreeing with whatever punishment they have decided on without giving your child the chance to defend themselves.
Your child has the right to a disciplinary proceeding, including the right to defend themselves and the right to be represented by an attorney during these proceedings. To ensure your child's due process rights are not being infringed upon, you must contact Lento Law Firm. Call 888-535-3686 today or schedule a consultation online.
