In August of 2020, Ohio State University suspended over 200 students at the same time. Classes had not yet begun. Many students were still arriving on campus.

However, in that first week that people were arriving for the fall semester, OSU suspended 228 students. Why? OSU had made its position on quarantine and COVID-19 safety rules clear before students were set to arrive. That first week, so many people hosted or attended large parties without physical distancing or face coverings that OSU felt it needed to come down, harshly, on all of those caught breaking the rules.

This sweeping set of suspensions is not unique to Ohio State University. Across the nation, universities have acted swiftly, meting out serious disciplinary measures at the earliest hints of pandemic-related insubordination.

Whether or not accused students actually deserve suspension (or worse) has not always been clear, unfortunately - putting many students in an unfair position as 2020 drew to a close.

Colleges Last Out at Students Allegedly Breaking COVID-19 Regulations

Fall of 2020 was filled with stories of suspensions and expulsions due to flaunted safety precautions - as well as college that decided to take increasingly severe measures against COVID-19:

• At the University of Cincinnati, the academic administration suspended an unreported number of students for failing to adhere to the university's updated health code.
• Almost one thousand University of Iowa students received warnings and other sanctions from the school for COVID-19 related infractions. While many of the charges have since been dismissed, many students are currently suffering the long-term consequences of the university's disciplinary action.
• Bradley University, in Illinois, mandated a two-week quarantine period shortly after the fall semester began for everyone on campus. Many students broke quarantine, and, as a result, “three students…may be banned from campus, and one faces suspension for the remainder of the academic year.”
• New York University suspended twenty students early on in the Fall 2020 semester. The university provided this information via a social media account while also saying, simply, to its academic community - “Please don't be the next.”

During this nerve-wracking time when no-one is sure what is happening, nobody wants to be next; however, with paranoia running rampant and anxiety at an all-time high, it's all too easy to make a misstep.

Now, more than ever, it's best to be prepared.

Rely on the Lento Law Firm for Smart, Skilled Legal Expertise

If you or your student is navigating disciplinary procedures at school during the COVID-19 pandemic, it's crucial to have a skilled legal advisor present. You need to make sure that your school isn't using your child as an example - or recommending harsh punishments without due cause. Now, more than ever, families need to make sure their children aren't denied access to every possible opportunity - and that starts now, with an impeccable student defense.

The Lento Law Firm is ready to help. Call Joseph D. Lento today at 888-535-3686 for more information.

This concludes our look at the most impactful student defense stories and updates from 2020. You can review previous stories from this series here.