If you're a student or the parent of a student at a college or university in West Virginia, and you or your child is charged with a code of conduct or disciplinary violation, you should not take the matter lightly. Do not make the mistake of believing what some schools would describe to be as an educational opportunity. A code of conduct or disciplinary case can have serious potential consequences with respect to academic goals, including internships and graduate school, and professional goals, including employment opportunities.
Regardless of when you first learned of the allegations, whether it's from the office of student conduct or from a professor, an athletic coach, the campus police, respectfully declining to discuss the case until you could take the necessary precautions is critical. You must understand how your school will investigate and adjudicate the charges. To do so, you must familiarize yourself with the applicable policies and procedures.
All schools will conduct an investigation, and regardless of whether your school will decide responsibility based solely on the investigation or will do so at a hearing, it's necessary to prepare the strongest possible defense in response. Notice is an issue at many schools, so it's critical to clearly define the allegations. In doing so, you would need to provide your version of events and support it through all available means, with relevant evidence, supporting witnesses, and anything else that may be appropriate to the circumstances. For schools that would decide responsibility at a hearing, it's necessary to prepare for the hearing, which in part would include preparing an opening statement, relevant questions for parties and witnesses, a closing statement and so forth.
It's important to bear in mind that schools are not mindful of an accused student's rights and interests, so ensuring a fair process is critical to achieving a favorable outcome. You do not want to find yourself in the position of having to appeal an adverse outcome and sanctions because you failed to take effective steps throughout the process.
An experienced attorney advisor will be your best ally to help you understand and navigate the code of conduct disciplinary process at your college or university in West Virginia, and they should be involved from as early as possible in the case.
West Virginia colleges and universities where Joseph D. Lento can help as your or your student's code of conduct disciplinary violation advisor during investigations, hearings, and appeals include, but are not limited to, the following schools:
- Alderson Broaddus College
- American Public University System
- Appalachian Bible College
- Bethany College
- Blue Ridge Community and Technical College
- Bluefield State College
- Bridgemont Community and Technical College
- Concord University
- Davis & Elkins College
- Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College
- Fairmont State University
- Glenville State College
- Huntington Junior College
- ITT Technical Institute Huntington
- Kanawha Valley Community and Technical College
- Marshall University
- Mountain State College
- Mountain State University
- Mountwest Community and Technical College
- New River Community and Technical College
- Ohio Valley University
- Pierpont Community and Technical College
- Potomac State College of West Virginia University
- Salem International University
- Shepherd University
- Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College
- University of Charleston
- Valley College Beckley
- Valley College Martinsburg
- Valley College Princeton
- West Liberty University
- West Virginia Business College Wheeling
- West Virginia Junior College Bridgeport
- West Virginia Junior College Charleston
- West Virginia Junior College Morgantown
- West Virginia Northern Community College
- West Virginia State University
- West Virginia University
- West Virginia University at Parkersburg
- West Virginia University Institute of Technology
- West Virginia Wesleyan College
- Wheeling Jesuit University
West Virginia Student Code of Conduct Disciplinary Advisor
Mounting the strongest possible defense to college and university code of conduct and disciplinary violations is critical because the stakes are high for an accused student, and the necessary steps must taken as early as possible and throughout the code of conduct disciplinary process. A finding of responsibility and any sanctions can have incredibly serious consequences for an accused student's academic and professional goals, and Joseph D. Lento has unparalleled experience passionately fighting for the future of his clients at schools in West Virginia and throughout the nation. Joseph Lento is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, is admitted as an attorney pro hac vice in state and federal court if needed when representing clients nationwide, and serves as a code of conduct disciplinary advisor to students facing disciplinary cases in West Virginia and throughout the nation. Make certain your or your student's interests are protected - Contact National Student Defense Attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686.
