You're a premed student at Brown, and someone's accused you of misconduct. Now, you're worried about how the accusation might affect your ability to get into medical school.
You're right to be worried. Serious infractions, like weapons possession and assault, can get you dismissed from the university altogether. If that happens, it could be the end of your academic career. Few universities are willing to accept a student who's been dismissed elsewhere. And even minor policy violations can affect your chances at med school. A cheating allegation, for instance, carries a great deal of weight if it shows up on your record, even if the only sanction was a stern warning. The same is true of offenses like trespassing, theft, and even underage drinking.
Just because you've been charged with an offense doesn't mean you need to give up on your dream. You have rights at Brown. Any time you're accused of an offense, you have the right to defend yourself, and you have some essential due process rights to help you do that.
You're also not alone in this fight. The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team was founded to help students get the justice they deserve from colleges and universities. We're experienced, on your side, and ready to fight for your rights. What can we do to help you reach your dream of being a doctor? Find out by calling 888-535-3686, or take a few minutes right now and fill out our online form.
Misconduct at Brown
There are basically three kinds of misconduct at Brown.
- Academic Misconduct: This has to do with how you complete your coursework. Cheating, plagiarism, and anything else that could give you an unfair advantage in the classroom are explicitly prohibited. Medical schools take a very dim view of anyone with academic misconduct on their record.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: This has to do with your behavior outside the classroom. Brown's Code of Student Conduct includes rules barring everything from drug possession to misuse of computer resources.
- Sexual Misconduct: Though technically a form of disciplinary misconduct, sexually-based offenses are treated separately. The most common penalty in these cases is dismissal.
The threat of a Responsible (guilty) finding and the possibility of a sanction are serious business for any Brown student. You have more on the line than most, though. You've worked long and hard to get to this point, and any sanction, even a warning, can wind up in letters of recommendation or mentioned on your transcript. That could doom your med school applications.
Misconduct Procedures
We've mentioned this already, but it bears repeating. An allegation of misconduct isn't a death sentence. Brown gives all students the right to defend themselves. How you go about doing that can vary depending on the nature and severity of the allegation. Here are some basic facts about Brown's judicial system, though.
- Most cases begin with a complaint lodged against you with either the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards or, in the case of sexual misconduct, the Title IX Coordinator.
- The university conducts a preliminary review to determine the severity of the complaint.
- If the allegations are serious enough, the university then conducts a full investigative review.
- As part of these reviews, you can expect to be interviewed as to your side of the story. In addition, reviewers talk to the Complainant (the alleged victim) and other witnesses, and they collect any physical evidence.
- Low-level accusations are most often handled through an administrative hearing. At that hearing, you have the right to present evidence, to call witnesses, and to cross-examine any witnesses against you. However, these cases are more like conversations than true hearings.
- If you're accused of a more serious offense, you are entitled to a full formal hearing before a decision-making panel. Again, you may present your full case.
- All misconduct cases at Brown are decided using a legal standard known as “preponderance of the evidence.” In simple terms, decision-makers must find you Responsible (guilty) if they are more than fifty percent convinced you committed an offense.
- Finally, you have the right to appeal the hearing outcome, but not simply because you disagree with that outcome. You must have "grounds" for an appeal. Grounds at Brown include the discovery of new evidence and the allegation of a procedural error.
As this outline suggests, a misconduct defense is never a simple affair. In fact, this outline only covers the most obvious elements of the process. An actual case can be enormously complex, and the rules can differ depending on the exact nature of the charges against you. If you've been charged with sexual misconduct, for instance, you're subject to federal Title IX guidelines concerning investigations and hearings. According to those guidelines, you're allowed to cross-examine the Complainant. That's not true in any other type of misconduct case.
No matter what the charges are, though, Brown gives you a crucial due process right: the right to an attorney. That means a Lento Law Firm attorney can help you navigate the system. We know all the ins and outs of Brown's judicial processes and can help you use them to your best advantage.
Fighting for Your Future
Fighting a misconduct charge is never an easy proposition. Beyond the complexities of the Brown judicial system, you have to worry about whether sanctions are recorded in your record. You have to worry about who might find out about the allegations and whether that might interfere with recommendation letters. You must keep a close watch on social media and ensure your reputation doesn't suffer online. It's an enormous amount of work to deal with on your own.
That's why the minute you suspect you might be in trouble, it's vital that you contact The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team. We can negotiate with faculty and administrators if that's what's called for, but we can also be fierce in defending our clients.
Let us help you fight for your academic future. To find out more, contact the firm today at 888-535-3686. Or, fill out our online questionnaire.
