A “responsible” finding doesn’t have to be the end of your case at Lamar University, even if you’ve been suspended or dismissed. You always have the right to appeal your case. An appeal isn’t a do-over, though, or a chance to complain about the hearing outcome. It’s a very subtle procedure. Even just coming up with the appropriate argument can be tricky, and if you get things wrong, Lamar won’t even bother to consider your appeal.

Keep in mind, though, that you’re not alone in going through this process. The LLF National Law Firm is always ready and willing to step in and help. Our Student Defense Team was founded to protect student rights, and we’ve had the experience of representing hundreds of students just like you. We know how Lamar University procedures work, including what’s involved in filing an appeal, and you can trust us to use every resource at our disposal to get you the best possible resolution to your case.

It’s important you contact us quickly, though. WU gives you just five business days in which to file, and there’s a lot to be done in that short timeframe. Call the LLF National Law Firm today at 888-535-3686, or use our online questionnaire to tell us more about your situation.

Filing an Appeal

As we said, it can be difficult to draft the appeal itself. There’s a lot to consider. We’ll get into it below. Once you’ve drafted your appeal, though, filing it is rather straightforward.

  • You submit your appeal to the Director of Student Conduct, who serves as the appeal officer. Remember, you must do this within the five-day window following notification of your hearing outcome.
  • The appeal officer forwards your appeal to the other party in the case. This party then has three days in which to file a response.
  • Finally, the appeal officer has ten days in which to review your arguments and evidence and issue a final decision in your case.

Drafting the Document

You won’t have the chance to address the appeal officer directly. There are no hearings in appeal cases. This means your written document must be absolutely clear. There’s no way to explain an argument or a piece of evidence if the appeal officer is confused about it.

As for your argument, you can’t just go on insisting that you’re innocent. As a practical matter, you’re not innocent anymore. That issue was decided at your hearing. Appeals have nothing to do with guilt or innocence. They’re about whether the university followed its own rules for investigations and hearings. In fact, an appeal cannot overturn a hearing outcome. The best you can hope for is a chance at a new hearing.

So what are you arguing? You have four options.

  • You were denied a fair hearing. Maybe you were given proper notice of your offense before the hearing. Maybe decision-makers refused to hear a crucial piece of evidence. You deserve the opportunity to present a proper defense.
  • The findings aren’t actually supported by the evidence in the case. Decision-makers allowed their own prejudices to dictate their decisions or simply didn’t apply the “preponderance of evidence” standard required under the Code of Conduct.
  • Some new piece of evidence has come to light. Because you didn’t have access to it before, you weren’t able to mount a proper defense.
  • Decision-makers applied a sanction in your case that is disproportionate to the nature of your offense. You’re not eligible for a new hearing, but you do deserve a reduced sanction. 

You’ll need to provide evidence to support your arguments. That’s an important shift from the original hearing. In the beginning, you were “innocent until proven guilty,” meaning you didn’t actually have to come up with any evidence. The university did. Now, however, you’re the one making the charge, accusing the university of mistreating you in some way. In this context, you bear the “burden” of overcoming the university’s presumption of innocence.

Any way you look at things, you’re at a disadvantage when you file an appeal. Appeals aren’t designed to protect you; they’re designed as one last chance to make sure the school got things right. Even so, you have a good chance of winning your appeal. Colleges and universities make lots of mistakes when it comes to dispensing justice, and you only need one to gain a fair sanction or a new hearing. 

And we’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: you’re not on your own this time. You have the LLF National Law Firm on your side. That fact in itself ensures Lamar will treat you fairly. Beyond this, you can count on us to go over your case and identify any grounds for your appeal. We’ll also help you draft the contents of your document, and we’ll remind the university of its responsibility to honor your due process rights.

Another Path to Justice

The appeal officer’s decision in your case is final in the context of the university’s disciplinary misconduct system. There is another path to justice, though, should you lose your appeal. You can try convincing a Lamar administrator to take an interest in your situation. That can sometimes result in new hearings, reduced sanctions, or even dismissed charges. 

To make this happen, you need some leverage, an inside connection that can gain you access to an administrator. Here again, the LLF National Law Firm can help. We have those connections you need.

Every university maintains an Office of General Counsel made up of attorneys hired to provide legal advice. We’re in touch with OGC around the country, and we don’t mind using our relationships when it will gain justice for a client. This is a service only we can offer because only we work so extensively in the field of student defense.

Trust the LLF National Law Firm to Protect Your Interests

Whether you’re entirely innocent or simply looking to get fair treatment from Lamar University, you owe it to yourself to continue the fight. The LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team is here and ready to help. We’ll guide you through the entire appeals process, make sure your case is airtight, and guarantee the university respects your rights.

As we said in the beginning, though, you cannot afford to wait. There are deadlines for filing your appeal. Get started now. Contact the LLF National Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or use our online form.

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