You may be the student body president at East Carolina University. Maybe you’re the starting quarterback for the Pirates. Maybe you’ve made the Dean’s List every semester at ECU. You’re still vulnerable to an allegation of disciplinary misconduct, and any allegation has the potential to end your academic career.

If you’ve been accused, don’t panic. You have some important rights, and these can protect you. You must take the situation seriously, though. Sanctions can be severe, and the ECU judicial system can be difficult to navigate.

Whatever your situation may be, whether you’re entirely innocent or you did make a mistake, the LLF National Law Firm can help. Our Student Defense Team was founded to protect student rights. We know what you’re facing, and we know the stakes. You can count on us to guide you through the judicial process and to show you how to use procedures to your benefit.

Over the years, we’ve helped hundreds of students defend themselves from all types of college and university charges. What can we do for you? Call 888-535-3686 to find out, or take a few minutes right now and fill out one of our online forms.

The ECU Code of Conduct

All colleges and universities maintain something known as the Student Code of Conduct. These are the rules and regulations that govern the campus community. ECU’s list of rules and regulations is long–too long to cover here. What we can do, though, is draw your attention to some of the most serious offenses, the ones most likely to result in suspension and dismissal.

  • Endangerment: The ECU Code doesn’t focus on the actual harm you do to others. It focuses on the potential harm you might do to others. The word is “endangerment.” If your actions put another member of campus in harm’s way, you can expect to be charged with an offense, even if no harm actually occurs.
  • Weapons Possession: North Carolina law gives you some rights to store a handgun if you have a permit. Otherwise, however, weapons possession is entirely prohibited on the ECU campus.
  • Hazing: The Code prohibits “endangering” others as part of an initiation event. This applies to initiates’ physical well-being but also to their psychological and emotional well-being. In recent years, university students have been investigated for actions as seemingly innocuous as keeping pledges from studying.
  • Sexual Misconduct: East Carolina University is required by federal law (Title IX) to investigate all credible allegations of sexual misconduct, from simple verbal harassment to sexual assault and rape. Further, the government encourages the use of harsh penalties.
  • Misuse of Drugs: ECU explicitly prohibits possessing, using, selling, buying, distributing, delivering, and manufacturing illegal drugs. You can be charged for possession of drug “paraphernalia.” You can be charged for “misusing” prescription drugs or any other substance.

These days, any Code violation can potentially lead to suspension or dismissal. These five offenses, though, almost always lead to those sanctions. Keep in mind that suspension and dismissal include a transcript notation about your offense. That can keep you from transferring, applying to graduate school, and getting a top job out of college.

Any time the stakes are this high, you can’t afford to try and handle the situation on your own. Even a local attorney won’t have the knowledge and skills necessary to defend you. You need the LLF National Law Firm attorney in your corner, looking out for your interests.

Defending Yourself at East Carolina University

If you are accused, the first thing you should know is that you are entitled to due process. You are, for instance, “innocent until proven guilty” (“not responsible until proven responsible”). ECU must conduct an investigation, and it must afford you the opportunity to defend yourself at a hearing.

Here’s a rough outline of the process.

  • Anyone can lodge a complaint against you with the Offices of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR), including other students, faculty, staff, administrators, and security personnel.
  • If the OSRR decides to investigate you, it must provide you with official notice of that investigation. This notice should explain the allegations and include a list of all your due process rights.
  • As part of the investigation, you have the right to give investigators your side of the story. You can offer evidence, and you can suggest witnesses. You also have the right to examine any evidence investigators uncover as part of their work.
  • Ultimately, investigators submit a written report of their findings to the OSRR. This office then sets a time and date for a hearing. Minor cases usually appear before a single Conduct Administrator. More serious offenses are heard by a full Student Conduct Board.
  • At the hearing, both sides have the opportunity to make their full cases. You may introduce evidence, call witnesses to testify, and raise questions for anyone testifying against you.
  • Decision-makers then base their final decision on whether or not there is a “preponderance of evidence” proving your responsibility (guilt). Generally, if more than fifty percent of the evidence points to your responsibility, you’ll be found guilty of the offense.
  • If you are found “not responsible,” you are free to go. If you should be found responsible, you still have the right to appeal that outcome if you can show you were mistreated by the process in some way. That means a procedural error, new evidence that was not available at the time of the hearing, or a disproportionate sanction.

ECU is relatively unique among American colleges and universities in that it allows students full legal representation during disciplinary misconduct cases. In other words, the LLF National Law Firm attorney can take care of all aspects of your case, from helping you uncover evidence to making an opening statement for you at your hearing. It’s important you trust your case to the LLF National Law Firm attorney. Only we have the background and experience to ensure you’re treated fairly and that you get a fair and just resolution to your case.

Don’t Stop Fighting

Handling your own disciplinary misconduct case puts your entire future at risk. Make sure you have a professional on your side, someone who not only knows how to construct a strong defense but who has experience helping student clients defend themselves from university charges. The LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team will make sure you’re fully prepared to defend yourself. They’ll protect your rights. They’ll help you to get the very best possible resolution to your case.

Sometimes, you have to fight for your educational future. We can help. To find out more, contact LLF National Law Firm today at 888-535-3686. Or, fill out our online questionnaire.

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