Schools are places for learning and student growth, and that remains true at the numerous schools found in the Mesquite Independent School District. Mesquite ISD schools, however, cannot educate students and provide them with a safe learning environment if they cannot effectively discipline disruptive and dangerous students. In addition to serious measures like suspension and expulsion, Mesquite ISD students accused of misconduct are also at risk of removal from their home campus and mandatory enrollment in an alternative school.
Like all school districts in the state, Mesquite ISD operates a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP) to remove disruptive or dangerous students from their home campus and educate them in a separate environment. Even though this local program theoretically offers the same quality of education to Mesquite ISD students, student outcomes may suffer. It isn't easy for young students to temporarily leave their home campus, enroll in a new, strict school, and still find success in their studies. Academic disruptions also make it harder for students in DAEP to maintain social relationships and engage in the local community.
If your student is at risk of entering the DAEP system in Mesquite ISD, the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team should be your first call. Our attorneys have extensive experience representing students and their families in district-level disciplinary proceedings, and we fully understand the risks that DAEP removal can introduce.
The goal of the Lento Law Firm is to protect your student's rights and minimize any disciplinary punishments they face. Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or contact us through our website to begin building a DAEP defense for your Mesquite ISD student.
Mesquite Independent School District
Mesquite ISD, serving nearly 40,000 students, primarily serves households in the city of Mesquite itself. However, as a thriving suburb on the edge of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, many nearby communities also rely on the district's school system. These areas include parts of Dallas, Garland, Seagoville, and Balch Springs.
Mesquite ISD has many campuses in different parts of the district to cater to students living nearby. Some of the schools found in the Mesquite Independent School District include:
- Mesquite High School
- Poteet High School
- John Horn High School
- North Mesquite High School
- West Mesquite High School
- McDonald Middle School
- Wilkinson Middle School
- Terry Middle School
- Sam Rutherford Elementary School
- Moss Elementary School
Regardless of a student's home campus, the risk of DAEP removal always exists. District and school officials can issue DAEP removal very quickly after an instance of misconduct, at which time students must attend DAEP at Mesquite ISD's Learning Center. Unlike traditional schools in the district, students at the Learning Center face increased restrictions and remain isolated from much of their social life at their previous campus.
Students thrive when they feel comfortable and secure. DAEP removal disrupts this sense of security, forcing young students to leave their home campus behind. If you are a Mesquite ISD parent and your student is facing serious misconduct accusations, you must take proactive steps to defend their name.
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team has direct experience representing Mesquite ISD students from our local Dallas office. We fully understand the district's internal processes, and our Student Defense Team is well-equipped to safeguard your student during all DAEP disciplinary proceedings. Call us today at 888-535-3686 to learn how the Lento Law Firm can assist with DAEP defense in Mesquite ISD.
The Risks of DAEP Placement in Mesquite ISD
Most students and their families don't have direct experience with Mesquite ISD's DAEP system, meaning they don't fully understand the associated risks. DAEP placement is one of the most significant penalties possible and is typically reserved for only the most severe offenses. If Mesquite ISD school officials investigate a student's behavior and consider DAEP as punishment, the risks to the student's future are high.
The purpose of DAEP is to separate students from their home campus following dangerous or disruptive conduct. In this new educational environment, students endure strict monitoring of their on-campus behavior and have limited social interaction throughout the day. And even though DAEP schools retain the responsibility of educating students, many of the kids entering the program struggle academically. Plus, many students find it difficult to reintegrate into their home schools once their placement ends.
DAEP placement is often an excessive and unjust penalty, particularly when students are removed from the classroom due to minor infractions or misunderstandings. In-school suspension or detention is one thing, but DAEP removal is an excessive punishment for many students. If your student is at risk of DAEP placement, the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can help. Call our attorneys as soon as possible, and let us defend your Mesquite ISD student during the initial DAEP disciplinary proceedings.
When and Why Does DAEP Placement Occur in Mesquite ISD?
Now that you know the risk of DAEP placement and removal to Mesquite ISD's DAEP campus, you should learn which types of conduct can lead to this punishment for your student. Not all misconduct immediately results in DAEP removal, and the Lento Law Firm can assist your student in reducing the severity of their disciplinary punishment by interfacing with Mesquite ISD and school officials.
Some, but not all, DAEP placements in Mesquite ISD occur because the student is responsible for committing a mandatory DAEP placement offense. Certain offenses outlined in the Mesquite ISD Student Code of Conduct require automatic placement in DAEP, though the facts of the case can lead to varying lengths of placement. Mandatory DAEP placement offenses in Mesquite ISD include:
- Making a false alarm, such as bomb threats or terroristic threats against a student's school.
- Committing assault against another student or staff member.
- Possessing, using, or distributing marijuana, THC products, or alcohol at school or school-related events.
- Engaging in public lewdness or indecent exposure.
- Selling, delivering, or using an e-cigarette or vape on campus.
- Engaging in conduct punishable by a felony in Texas.
Even if your Mesquite ISD student did not commit one of those offenses, they might still receive DAEP placement as disciplinary punishment. School administrators may also assign students to DAEP for serious offenses that disrupt the campus or pose a threat. These discretionary offenses include:
- Persistent disruptive misbehavior.
- Vandalism or property damage.
- Low-level assaults or fighting.
- Threatening or bullying behavior, including cyberbullying.
- Involvement in gang-related activities.
- Minor drug- or alcohol-related offenses that do not reach the threshold for mandatory DAEP placement.
So, how do school and district officials decide when DAEP is warranted if the offense does not carry a mandatory punishment? When making a decision, they must review the facts of the case and take into account the student's history to come to a fair outcome. During this time, it's critically important that you work with the Lento Law Firm to explain your student's side of the story and lessen the severity of their disciplinary punishment. The Mesquite Independent School District considers these mitigating factors before finalizing a student's DAEP placement:
- Whether the student acted in self-defense.
- The student's past disciplinary history.
- The intentionality of the student at the time of the offense.
- Whether the student has a disability affecting their ability to understand the consequences of their conduct.
- Whether the student is in foster care or experiencing homelessness.
These considerations help determine whether DAEP is the appropriate course of action or if other disciplinary options fit the situation better. For example, students acting in self-defense should obviously have different disciplinary outcomes than those recklessly attacking other students. If your child is facing DAEP placement in Mesquite Independent School District, the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can help challenge or mitigate the decision before it's too late.
Steps in the Mesquite ISD DAEP Placement Process
So, how does the process actually begin? The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can assist and advise Mesquite ISD families undergoing DAEP removal proceedings and protect their rights from day one. The DAEP placement process in Mesquite includes the following steps:
- Removal: For students who engage in misconduct or are accused of an offense that could result in DAEP placement, school officials, including the Campus Behavior Coordinator (CBC), will investigate the matter. Students may face immediate removal from the classroom or receive a disciplinary referral.
- Parent Notification: The CBC or another administrator must schedule a conference with the student and their parents within a few days of the removal. Although students are not required to attend, Mesquite ISD and the school will continue proceedings without their presence. Teachers may attend the conference if involved in the initial removal decision because of in-classroom behavior.
- Disciplinary Conference: The school or district administrator at the conference will provide information about the alleged conduct and allow the student an opportunity to respond to the allegations. This conference is an opportunity for families to explain the situation and provide mitigating factors that influence the eventual decision.
- Placement Order: If the CBC decides on DAEP placement, they will issue a formal placement order and inform the student of the duration and conditions of their enrollment.
- Duration and Placement Review: In most cases, DAEP placement in Mesquite ISD does not exceed one year unless officials deem the student a continued safety risk. Reviews occur at intervals of up to four months to assess academic progress and behavior. If the situation improves, students can usually return to their home campus.
- Appeals Process: Parents can also appeal the placement decision instead of waiting for reviews. The first level of appeal in Mesquite ISD reaches the desk of the campus principal, with further appeals going before the school board. During the entire appeal process, students must remain in DAEP and continue to follow the conditions of their placement.
If you are looking to file an appeal or contest DAEP placement orders in Mesquite ISD, the Lento Law Firm is here to help. But before it reaches that point, our Student Defense Team can help defend your student and lessen the severity of their disciplinary punishment. No amount of time away from a home campus is ideal, but securing a two-week DAEP placement for a mandatory offense is much better than a six-month placement. The Lento Law Firm will work tirelessly to secure the best outcome for your Mesquite ISD student.
The Lento Law Firm Defends Against DAEP Removal in Mesquite Independent School District
DAEP placement and removal is one of the most significant disciplinary punishments for students in Mesquite ISD. Mesquite ISD's DAEP school does not offer the same familiar environment your student is accustomed to, and a sudden campus change may negatively impact their educational success. On top of being forced to attend a school with stricter rules, Mesquite ISD students in DAEP cannot participate in any extracurricular activities—on or off campus—until their placement is over.
Mesquite ISD is a large district with many great schools for students of all ages. If DAEP removal threatens your student's position at their home campus, you should do everything possible to maintain their enrollment. The Lento Law Firm has direct experience defending good students from DAEP removal across Texas, including in Mesquite ISD. Local criminal defense attorneys cannot provide the detailed legal assistance you and your student need to succeed in Mesquite ISD DAEP proceedings.
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team is here to help all Mesquite ISD students, regardless of what district and school officials allege. Call today at 888-535-3686 or contact our attorneys through our website to begin your DAEP defense on the right foot. Student Defense attorneys from our local Dallas office will immediately get to work and help protect your student's academic future from further harm and disruption.
