Attending college in Washington, DC, can be a wonderful experience. In addition to being the nation's capital, DC is home to an amazing range of museums and cultural venues that can enrich your educational experience. Of course, there are also plenty of opportunities for college students to blow off some steam at both on-campus and off-campus venues and events. And when blowing off steam crosses the line into misconduct, schools across the district have the right to discipline you – even if that conduct happened away from campus. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can protect your rights if you're being disciplined by your school for alleged on- or off-campus misconduct. Call us at 888.535.3686 or use our contact form to set up a confidential consultation to learn how we can help.
Can My College Really Discipline Me for Alleged Misconduct that Occurred Off-Campus?
Almost every college has a code of student conduct, which might be described differently from one school to another – it might be the “honor code,” embedded in a section of the student handbook or included as a part of school policies and procedures. One thing these conduct codes have in common is that they apply to both on- and off-campus misconduct. The situations where a school may choose to discipline a student for alleged off-campus misconduct may vary, but make no mistake about it – you're not safe from school discipline simply because you were away from campus when you were involved in a situation that the school has decided to investigate for possible misconduct.
Many students have never read their college's code of student conduct; it's a good idea to do so because when you enrolled in the school, you agreed to follow the school's disciplinary rules, regulations, and procedures. Most schools will explain in some detail the types of behavior that can lead to a disciplinary proceeding. This can include a range of conduct that, in the “real world,” may be considered perfectly legal. School policies typically will also outline the various disciplinary consequences that can result if a student is found to have committed misconduct. The procedures that the school can use to investigate alleged misconduct and bring a disciplinary proceeding against a student will also usually be explained in detail.
With Washington, DC being essentially one entire urban area, any college or university located there is an integral part of the city. In almost any part of the city or the surrounding suburbs in Virginia and Maryland, you are likely to encounter people who have ties to one or more DC colleges. If you're involved in a misconduct situation, and you can be connected with your school somehow, it's very possible that word of your conduct will find its way back to your school. While this is more likely in the areas close to campus, it can also happen if you're at a house party in Arlington or a bar in Bethesda. In short, don't assume that what you do off-campus will stay off-campus.
School disciplinary policies typically give school administrators a tremendous amount of discretion when it comes to imposing discipline on students for misconduct. Students can find themselves disciplined for even minor breaches of school policy, and without a strong defense, they can end up with a stain on their permanent records or worse. In addition, schools don't always follow their own disciplinary policies and may also disregard the defending student's rights. This is why it's important to retain an experienced student defense attorney if you are being accused of any kind of misconduct that could hurt your college or professional career.
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team understands the college disciplinary process and, more importantly, understands what your rights are as a student and as a citizen. Our experienced student defense attorneys have helped students all over the US who found themselves involved in disciplinary proceedings, including students in Washington, DC. We will fight for you to protect your rights, defend you against disciplinary charges, and help you achieve the best outcome for your college career and for your future.
Criteria Used by DC Schools to Discipline Off-Campus Behaviors
Every college or university in Washington, DC, has its own set of rules that it uses to determine whether a student's off-campus misconduct is something that the school can discipline the student for. These policies vary greatly in the level of detail they include about what the school expects of its students and what kind of behavior may result in disciplinary actions by the school against the student. The language about what off-campus behavior can result in discipline varies as well.
George Washington University, for example, states that its code of conduct “shall apply to behavior that occurs” off-campus “considering the seriousness of the reported behavior or closeness to the university or university-sponsored or affiliated events.” The school considers student conduct that takes place “in local neighborhoods, during study abroad or internships, through virtual settings” and “other situations or settings” to be subject to its disciplinary requirements but reserves the right to determine how to respond “on a case-by-case basis.”
American University uses different language. It reserves the right to discipline students for off-campus behavior:
“When a student's behavior threatens or endangers the safety and well-being of the campus community; when a student is the subject of a violation of local, state, or federal law; or when, in the judgment of university officials, a student's alleged misconduct has a detrimental impact on the university's functions and operations, pursuit of its mission, or on the well-being of its community or neighbors.”
As with GWU, school officials have a lot of discretion when it comes to deciding when and whether to discipline students for alleged misconduct that takes place away from campus.
Georgetown University similarly leaves a lot to the discretion of school officials. Its code of student conduct states that “the University reserves the right to take appropriate action when, in the judgment of University officials, the alleged conduct has a negative impact on the University community, the pursuit of its mission, or the broader community in which we live.” Georgetown also applies its code of conduct to students studying abroad, and to “alleged violations which take place after the last day of spring semester classes or before the first day of fall semester classes” – in other words, during summer break.
What these and other college conduct rules and procedures have in common is the tremendous amount of discretion they give to school officials to decide whether to pursue misconduct charges against a student and how to discipline the student in cases where misconduct has been substantiated. This is where retaining the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can make all the difference. We will fight for your legal rights in any disciplinary investigation or proceeding and will hold school officials accountable to the requirements of their own policies and the law.
Common Factors that May Incur Disciplinary Action for Off-Campus Behaviors
There are a number of ways that your college may attempt to connect your off-campus actions to the school's disciplinary policies in an effort to justify bringing a proceeding against you. These include:
- Threat to University Reputation. This is probably one of the broadest forms of rationale that schools will use to try to justify misconduct proceedings for off-campus behavior. With so much of our lives being recorded and spread across the Internet, schools have more ways to learn about a student's off-campus behavior. Depending on the situation, college administrators may try to argue that any type of student behavior that they claim to be misconduct is behavior that “threatens the reputation of the school,” no matter where that behavior takes place.
- Misconduct During University-Sponsored School Events. If the alleged misconduct takes place at an off-campus sporting event, social gathering, art exhibit, concert, and the like, the school will typically argue that it has the right to discipline the students involved.
- Connection to School-Related Activities. Similarly, if the school has a semester abroad program, or helps coordinate internships or co-op programs, misconduct that takes place in those settings may result in discipline by the school.
- Academic Misconduct Off-Campus. If the school suspects the student of cheating – whether it's plagiarism, working with a group on what was supposed to be a solo project, or online testing fraud – the school will typically discipline the student no matter where the student was located when the cheating took place.
- Online Misconduct. If other types of misconduct, such as harassment, stalking, defamation, and the like, take place online, the school may bring misconduct charges against the student who committed the online acts – whether or not the target was another student or a school employee.
- Violation of State or Federal Laws. School conduct codes may require students to report off-campus arrests or convictions to the school. Even in cases where the student isn't prosecuted for a crime, the school may reserve the right to bring a disciplinary proceeding.
- Sexual Harassment, Assault, or Discrimination. All schools have strong against a wide range of discriminatory behavior, including assault and harassment. These typically embody the requirements of “Title IX,” but in some cases, may go beyond those requirements. These policies are often enforced against behavior that takes place off campus.
- Affiliation with University-Recognized Organizations. Any misconduct that occurs at a fraternity, sorority, special-interest campus club, sports team (varsity, club, or intramural), or academic society may be pursued by the school no matter where it allegedly took place.
- Honor Code/Moral Code Violations. Private schools may require incoming students to sign a pledge that includes a promise not to engage in behavior that may otherwise be legal – such as having premarital sex or cohabitating with a student of the opposite sex – and may pursue misconduct charges against students found to have broken the pledge.
- Threats to Health and Safety. A student who engages in off-campus behavior that threatens the health and safety of other students or school employees may be disciplined by the school for that behavior. This can include, for example, selling or giving prohibited items such as drugs or alcohol to other students – even if no criminal charges were brought.
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team has helped students all across the US – including in Washington, DC – defend themselves in disciplinary investigations and proceedings brought by their schools for all types of academic and behavioral misconduct, including off-campus conduct that had very little if anything to do with the school. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you protect your rights if you're facing this kind of misconduct situation.
Possible Disciplinary Actions for Off-Campus Misconduct in DC
Colleges and universities in Washington, DC, typically employ a wide range of potential consequences in situations where students are found to have committed misconduct. These include:
- A verbal or written warning that may or may not appear on the student's record.
- A period of probation where the student may be restricted in some way – for example, prohibited from participating in a certain club's activities – or required to do something such as take a behavior-related class, submit an essay, or report to a school administrator.
- The student may lose any of a wide range of privileges, such as having access to certain school events or facilities.
- A period of suspension from the school, often for a semester, with the student being allowed to return after the suspension period has ended; the student may also be required to take a certain class or a course of therapy before being allowed to return.
- In the most serious cases, the student will be expelled from the school and not allowed to return.
- The school may also withhold earned and even awarded degrees from students found to have engaged in misconduct as their degree programs were finishing.
Potential Long-Term Impacts to Your Future
School discipline can have an adverse effect on your future. If your transcript shows that you were disciplined in any way during your college career, it can make it more difficult for you to get a job, secure admission to a graduate program, and, in some cases, be eligible for graduate school financial aid. Some professional license applications may require you to disclose school misconduct as part of the application process. In short, a serious misconduct finding can follow you around for decades.
The Lento Law Firm: Your Washington, DC Student Defense Team
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team has represented students all over the US – including in Washington, DC – face serious misconduct allegations brought by their colleges and universities, whether those allegations relate to on-campus or off-campus activities. Our experienced student defense attorneys understand the laws, school codes, and procedures that apply to student misconduct cases. We will be your representative when dealing with your school about your case. We can negotiate on your behalf with your school and will always fight for your rights in any misconduct investigation or proceeding.
Your future is important. Call the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team today at 888.535.3686 or use our contact form to set up a confidential consultation to learn how we can help you protect it.
