We know what you've been through to this point. It was hard enough facing an accusation from Drexel University. You endured an investigation and a hearing. Worst of all, you went through all of this alone. That should never happen.
Drexel does everything it can to convince students not to hire attorneys to help them with misconduct cases. You may even have read that you're not allowed to ask an attorney to write your appeal for you. The university wants you at a disadvantage, that's clear.
Drexel does have the right to bar lawyers from attending investigative meetings and hearings. What the university doesn't tell you, though, is that it cannot bar you from consulting an attorney about your case. No one has that kind of power.
The other thing they don't tell you is that the Lento Law Firm attorney can provide you with crucial help even if you never step one foot on campus. We can go over the hearing record with you and identify errors the university may have made, help you uncover new evidence, and no matter what administrators may have told you, we can work with you to draft your appeal. Our Student Defense Team is dedicated to protecting your future. We know how schools like Drexel operate, but we also know your rights, and we're prepared to use them to get you the best possible resolution to your case.
Don't wait, though. You have just seven calendar days to file your appeal. That's not a lot of time to prepare a strong case. Call 888-535-3686 today, or use our online questionnaire to tell us more about your case.
The Appeals Process at Drexel University
As we've already suggested, the appeals process at Drexel can be tough. We're not saying you shouldn't appeal, but you need to know exactly what you're up against.
- Let's start with the fact that you are no longer "innocent." Drexel policy requires investigators and decision-makers to treat you as "Not Responsible" until you are actually proven "Responsible" at a hearing. That's important because it meant the university had the burden of proof in the case. Now, that burden is on you. The judicial system is "presumed" to have treated you fairly. In order to get a new hearing, you must prove that they didn't.
- There are a lot of ways to argue your innocence, everything from demonstrating you had no motive to providing an alibi. An appeal isn't about guilt or innocence, though. It's strictly about whether or not you were treated fairly. As a result, you have just four "rationales" to choose from.
- The university assigned you a sanction that is disproportionate to the nature of your offense.
- Some new evidence has come to light that could potentially alter the outcome of your case.
- The university did not follow proper procedure, and that cost you the chance of a fair hearing.
- The outcome is based on insufficient evidence.
- Likewise, you now face evidence limitations. The Appellate Board is not allowed to consider evidence of your innocence. In fact, unless you've discovered new evidence, the Board can only examine the hearing record. If you do have new evidence, Board members will only consider whether or not it warrants a new hearing.
- Everything happens on paper. You will not have an opportunity to address the Appellate Board or to “present” your case. Many students find it difficult to create a clear, compelling argument in writing.
- The Appellate Board cannot find you "innocent." The Board can lessen your sanction, or it can remand the case back for a new hearing. The best-case scenario, then, is that you go back to square one and defend yourself again.
What's at Stake
The odds may be stacked against you, but you simply can't afford to give up at this point. You must fight on.
For one thing, Drexel can be unusually harsh in assigning penalties for misconduct. In all likelihood, you're facing either suspension or outright dismissal. Either can have profound effects on your future.
Dismissal is, of course, dismissal. It means leaving campus and ending your studies at Drexel. It means leaving your friends behind and starting completely over at a new school. That's if a new school is willing to accept you. As part of your punishment, Drexel adds a notation to your transcript that explains the nature of your offense. That can keep you out of a lot of colleges and universities.
In fact, suspension comes with a transcript notation as well. That means even if you should manage to return to Drexel and complete your degree, you'll still have to explain your offense when you head out onto the job market.
There's another good reason to fight, though. As difficult as Drexel makes the appeals process, students can and do win appeals. It's simple, really: a university isn't set up to decide complex legal issues, so it tends to make a lot of mistakes. It wasn't some learned judge making decisions at your hearing. It was a professor or two, an administrator, and maybe a student. Those officials received some training, but not enough to ensure you were treated fairly.
If you know you're innocent, you deserve a chance to prove it. If you made a mistake, you deserve a chance at a fair hearing and a reasonable sanction.
Fight For Your Future
The Lento Law Firm cannot guarantee to win your appeal. No one can. At this point, you've exhausted a number of your most important rights. The appeals process at Drexel exists for a reason, though. You deserve justice, and what the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team can promise you is that they will fight hard to get you that justice. They're here to protect your rights, and they'll make sure you get the best possible resolution to your case.
As we said in the beginning, though, you cannot afford to wait. The window for filing your appeal at Drexel University is just seven calendar days. Get started now. Contact the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or use our online form.
