Appealing a disciplinary decision at Washington University in St. Louis can feel like you're fighting for your life. In some ways, you are. At least, you're fighting for your academic and professional lives. If you're dismissed from the university, you aren't just barred from continuing at WUSTL. You'll have a permanent notation on your transcript explaining exactly what led to your dismissal. That will almost certainly keep you from enrolling at another college or university. That means heading out onto the job market with no degree at all. In fact, even very minor sanctions like warnings can interfere with grad school and job applications if they should appear on your transcript.
Given the stakes, it's always in your best interest to keep fighting your Responsible (guilty) finding until you run out of options. An appeal is no easy task, though. As with the hearing, you're taking on the power and authority of a major institution. You may be used to thinking of WUSTL as your home, the place that not only educates you but feeds and houses you. When you've been accused of misconduct, though, your school is not your friend. Faculty and administrators tend to stand together, and they'll do whatever it takes to find you guilty and punish you with the harshest possible sanctions.
You need an ally in this fight. You need someone from the Lento Law Firm. Our Student Defense Team has handled every type of university case, from simple plagiarism charges to allegations of sexual assault. We know the law and what it has to say about education, and we're well-versed in all of WUSTL's judicial rules and procedures, including the appeals process. We've helped hundreds of students defend themselves. What can we do for you?
To find out, call 888-535-3686. Or use our online questionnaire right now to tell us more about your case. Don't wait, though. Washington University in St. Louis gives you just fourteen days from the conclusion of your hearing to file an appeal.
The Appeals Process at Washington University in St. Louis
The right to file an appeal is one of the due process rights WUSTL grants all accused students (Respondents). It represents one last chance to get justice if you've been found Responsible by the university's Student Conduct Board, the Academic Integrity Council, or a Title IX case officer. It's important you recognize, though, that while you have the right to file an appeal, there are no guarantees that the Appeal Officer will grant your appeal.
Appeals are very different from hearings. The hearing was your opportunity to argue for your innocence or to present mitigating reasons for your misconduct. You were allowed to use any reasonable means to make your arguments. You were allowed to submit evidence, for instance, to call witnesses to testify, and to raise questions for witnesses testifying against you. An appeal isn't meant to determine your guilt or innocence. The hearing already did that. An appeal is meant to determine whether you were treated fairly and justly during your hearing. If the Appeal Officer should determine you were denied some essential right, they can order a new hearing. They are not interested, however, in whether or not you are Responsible for an offense.
As a starting point, you must have “grounds” for an appeal, some reason why you believe you were treated unfairly during the investigation or hearing processes. At WUSTL, there are only two possible grounds for appeal.
- You were denied a fair hearing.
- You were assigned a sanction that is disproportionate to the nature of the offense.
Coming up with grounds for an appeal is an important first step. However, you'll face additional challenges as part of the process.
- You no longer have the presumption of innocence. In your hearing, you didn't have to prove you were innocent. Rather, the university had the burden of proving you were guilty. The roles are reversed in an appeal. The burden is now on you to prove that you deserve a new hearing.
- You aren't being judged by a panel of decision-makers. One Appeal Officer has sole responsibility for determining whether or not to grant your appeal.
- There is no hearing. You won't get a chance to make your case in person. Your written appeal must speak for you.
- The Appeal Officer will consider only the documentary evidence from the hearing. They are not allowed to look at new evidence.
- Winning your appeal does not mean winning your case. The Appeal Officer can reduce your sanction, or they can order a new hearing.
None of this is meant to dissuade you from pursuing an appeal at WUSTL. University judicial systems are notoriously problematic, with professors, administrators, and students asked to dispense justice as though they had law degrees. You can and should fight for your future.
You're going to need help, though. It's no simple matter of coming up with grounds for an appeal or gathering and organizing evidence. The document itself must be not just clear but persuasive. The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm know exactly what Appeal Officers look for. They know how to put you in the very best light. They have the background and experience to guide you through this crucial process.
Fight For Your Future
We won't sugarcoat it: you're in a difficult situation with limited options. You don't have a lot of rights left to you, and you've already been found “Responsible” for an offense. Given those parameters, we can't promise to win your appeal. No one can. Here's what we can promise you, though: no one gives you a better chance of winning your appeal than the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team. No one knows the system the way we do, and no one is better positioned to leverage that system to your benefit. If you know you are innocent, if you believe you've been treated unfairly, we can help.
You cannot afford to wait, though. The window for filing your appeal at Washington University in St. Louis is just fourteen days. That's not a lot of time to build your defense. Contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or use our online form.
