Protecting Your Interests in All Types of School Disputes Nationwide

All across the country, disagreements and disputes happen all the time between students (and their parents), staff, faulty and their schools--from K-12 to college to post-graduate studies. Many times, the school takes a hard-line stance that can actually put your education and your future career at risk unless you have professional help to navigate the issues. Academic shortfalls caused by unfair grading and remediation practices can lead to premature dismissal. Allegations of student or employee misconduct can result in hearings before a disciplinary committee, and disciplinary actions can be unreasonable, harsh, and swift. Inadequate ADA accommodations can restrict the differently-abled and make it difficult or impossible for them to complete their education.

Whatever the source of the dispute--any of these issues can quickly derail a student's academic progress, and possibly their career. It can truly be a nightmare scenario for students, parents, and employees alike to face an uncertain future and feel helpless to turn things around.

This is not a time to try and "go it alone." Anytime you find yourself at odds with a school, you need an education attorney advisor who is experienced in education law and can provide expert advice, provide wise counsel, and help you quickly prepare an effective strategy. Attorney Joseph D. Lento is nationally renowned in student and employee rights and student, and he and his Education Law Team have helped thousands of people navigate even the most challenging school dispute cases in grade schools, colleges and universities across the country.

Academic Progression Issues Can Hinder Your Success

Sometimes, a college, university, or grad student can find themselves facing academic dismissal, not for wrongdoing but simply because the school thinks they aren't keeping up academically. Here are some other ways a student can find themselves in danger of dismissal:

• Unfair grades or grading policies can fail to give a student proper credit for their work, lowering their GPA below acceptable standards.
• A family emergency or a personal crisis can set a student behind in their work, and the school fails to make considerations for such issues.
• An unaddressed emotional or mental health issue makes it challenging for the student to keep pace, and the school offers no accommodations for these concerns.

In any of the above scenarios, and others that might cause a student to fall short academically, the school usually recommends some form of remediation--including personal supervision, make-up courses, retaking of classes, etc. Unfortunately, in many of these cases, the cure is worse than the illness. Remedial programs are often cookie-cutter solutions that don't address the root cause of a student's issues, and they're considered a precursor to dismissal. Instead of helping the student, the remediation only piles more work on them, making it impossible for them to keep up and making dismissal all but inevitable.

Inadequate ADA Accommodations Can Threaten Your Success

If a college or university fails to provide reasonable accommodations for disabilities (as stipulated under the Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA), then students who are differently-abled can find themselves at a disadvantage academically. This can lead to poor grades, which in turn can put them at risk of dismissal from the school. Unfortunately, many students and parents do not realize they have legal rights in these matters, and without proper help from an experienced education lawyer, they see the student face dismissal and their tuition money effectively wasted.

Student Misconduct Hearings Can Jeopardize Your Career

When you face a student disciplinary committee, there's often a lot more at stake than just a "slap on the wrist," so to speak. Penalties for violations of the school's Student Conduct Code or Honor Code can be as mild as a reprimand, but they can also result in probationary sanctions, suspension, and even expulsion from the school. These penalties can be extremely costly for parents and students alike because they can result in:

• Lost tuition
• Lost time
• Costly restitution requirements
• A permanent notation on your academic record, possibly hurting your chances of getting hired
• Difficulties resuming your education (if you're facing dismissal)
• A tarnished professional or personal reputation

In addition to Code of Conduct violations, federal regulations require colleges and universities to have a separate department to address Title IX violations (i.e., sexual harassment and/or discrimination concerns). If your alleged misconduct falls under Title IX, you could face an entirely different set of complications--and in rare cases, you may even have parallel investigations from the Title IX department and the Student Conduct Board.

The real disadvantage for accused students in these situations is that they have neither time nor a clear understanding of the situation to defend themselves properly. Many university disciplinary committees will move quickly to sit the student down and deliver whatever punishment or sanction they believe fits the violation. The initiation of a code of conduct or disciplinary proceedings usually takes place within mere days of whatever events transpired. Before they are even aware of what happened, students may find themselves on university probation or, worse, suspended or expelled.

In short, no one should take student misconduct allegations lightly. Without proper due process and without expert advisory counsel, your (or your child's) entire professional future could be at risk—all due to one misunderstanding or misstep!

How the Student Disciplinary Process Works

Every school, college, and university has its own established policies and procedures for dealing with misconduct allegations, but the process usually works similarly across the board. Here's a quick overview of how the process works:

• Someone files a complaint alleging misconduct or some sort of violation on your part.
• The appropriate office reviews the complaint. You may be contacted for an informal discussion, especially if the allegation is a mild infraction, and in some cases, the issue may be resolved here.
• For more significant accusations, the school's disciplinary body will conduct an investigation. This may be a Dean, a Conduct Officer, an Honor Council, an Academic Progress Committee, etc.
• You are called to a formal hearing. You'll hear the complaints against you and any evidence, and you'll be invited to give your side.
• The disciplinary body (usually a committee or council) will review the events of the hearing and make a determination and recommendation of punishment, usually to a Dean.
• The student will be notified in writing of the punishment.
• The student will have a window of time to appeal, if applicable.
• There may be a separate appeals hearing, after which the decision will be final.

Faculty and Staff Disciplinary Issues

Students aren't the only ones who face disciplinary action over shortfalls or allegations of misconduct. School faculty, professors, staff, and employees are frequently the subject of unfair accusations, either by fellow staff members, students, or parents. School boards have an obligation to investigate these allegations and to impose disciplinary action when they deem it necessary--even if the evidence is not conclusive. In situations like these, faculty and staff need the expertise of an education attorney advisor to make sure their rights are protected and help them prepare a compelling defense.

Why You Need an Attorney-Advisor

School disciplinary hearings often operate similarly to a court hearing or trial, with the exception that these hearings aren't legally required to abide by court protocols. Students aren't necessarily considered innocent until proven guilty, and although schools usually provide due process to the accused student in their policies, things don't always work that way in real life. An accused student is automatically at a disadvantage simply because the review board knows the process and the student does not. And because these schools face public pressure to maintain a pristine reputation, they tend to administer justice swiftly, often before a student can even find their bearings.

The same disadvantage holds true for students who are not facing discipline but have a legitimate dispute with the school, such as academic progression disputes or ADA shortfalls. Without the help of an education attorney, these students and their parents either find themselves unable to mount a successful dispute or, worse, accept the student's fate without filing a dispute at all.

The good news for students and their parents is you have the right to an attorney-advisor to help guide them through the disciplinary/dispute process. Since it's not a courtroom or a legal proceeding, usually, the attorney doesn't function in an official capacity but rather in an advisory role. However, having this support system is crucial because the experienced advisor understands how student hearings work. An advisor can help you gather witnesses, compile evidence in your favor, and advise you as to how best to respond to the charges. Furthermore, an attorney-advisor's presence helps keep the school accountable to its own policies, so your due process rights are better protected. The Lento Law Firm has an excellent track record in assisting students in obtaining a better outcome in disciplinary hearings, often saving them from dismissal and rescuing their careers in the process.

How We Can Help

The Lento Law Firm can provide expert help for students navigating all types of student discipline cases and other school disputes. These include the following:

• Academic misconduct—e.g., if you're accused of cheating, plagiarism, falsifying data, unauthorized collaboration, impersonation, improper handling of research, or other related offenses.
• Code of Conduct violations—e.g., if you're accused of drug use, hazing, stalking, cyberbullying, threatening behavior, etc.
• Title IX issues—e.g., if you're accused of sexual harassment or sexual misconduct.
• Academic shortfalls/remediation—e.g., if you're facing remediation, probation, suspension, or dismissal for alleged academic failures.
• ADA issues - e.g., if you're a differently-abled student facing academic discipline, remediation, or dismissal because the school doesn't meet government-required ADA standards.
• Professionalism violations - e.g., if you're training for a professional field like medicine or nursing and you are accused of professional misconduct by that specific school or department.

Whom We Can Help

As widely experienced attorney advisors, Joseph Lento and his Education Defense Team can provide expert student discipline help for K-12, college, and university students and employees, including those in graduate and professional programs, in almost any and every type of case. We are commonly called upon to help in the following areas:

• Undergraduate students
• Graduate students
• Medical students
• Nursing students
• Dental students
• Physician's assistant students
• Student-athletes
• Students studying abroad
• K-12 students
• College employees

Where We Can Help

Joseph D. Lento is licensed to practice as an attorney in New Jersey and New York, and Attorney Lento is qualified to serve as an advisor at any college, university, graduate or professional program, K-12 school, or training institute nationwide. He has helped countless students at over a thousand colleges and universities across the United States from coast to coast, and he has unparalleled experience in the unique practice area of Student Discipline Defense and Student Rights. Attorney Lento and his team have successfully resolved countless client concerns at schools and in courts throughout the United States. Click here to learn more about how we can help you regardless of your school's location in the United States.

If you or your child has a dispute with the school or is facing any type of student disciplinary hearing, your academic and professional future may be at stake. Don't risk your future career and your reputation by entering such proceedings at a disadvantage. Attorney Joseph D. Lento has many years of successful experience helping students deal with unfair allegations, disciplinary processes, and other school-rights-related issues.

Help is just a phone call away! Contact the Lento Law Firm at (888) 535-3686 today to discuss your case and your options.