At the beginning of each new school year, students receive their school's Student Handbook and are expected to familiarize themselves with its rules and regulations. In fact, if your child is in elementary or secondary school, you are supposed to review the student handbook as well and return a signed notice saying you have completed the task. Even college students are supposed to review the material and understand what the school expects of them.
When a student is accused of violating a policy or procedure in the student handbook, including the appropriate academic progression standards, they will be referred for a disciplinary hearing. All students have the right to defend themselves during such proceedings. Academic attorney Joseph D. Lento can help protect your student from being unnecessarily penalized. Call Lento Law Firm today.
Spokane-Spokane Valley Metropolitan Area
The Spokane-Spokane Valley metropolitan area is nestled in Northern Washington state, with a population of just under 600,000 people. Comprised of two counties – Spokane and Stevens – Spokane-Spokane Valley metro area is home to several communities, including:
- Spokane
- Spokane Valley
- Airway Heights
- Cheney
- Fairwood
- Liberty Lake
- Country Homes
- Mead
- Medical Lake
- Chewlish
- Colville
- Deer Park
- Kettle Falls
- Millwood
- Clayton
- Fairfield
- Four Lakes
- Green Bluff
- Spangle
- Waverly
- Valley
- Springdale
- Rockford
- Northport
- Marcus
- Latah
- Loon Lake
- Addy
When it comes to practicing law, most lawyers are confined to one state, but Attorney Lento believes in helping students all over the country whenever possible. As such, he has spent much of his career learning the ins and outs of student conduct issues and hearings, providing him with unparalleled experience and understanding of such concerns.
Spokane-Spokane Valley Metro Area Student Concerns
Day after day, students are faced with making decisions about their future. They not only have to decide what to have for breakfast if they live in a food-secure household but also when to study, who to befriend, and what to do when their best doesn't get them the grade they were hoping for. The ability to move through these decisions becomes even more difficult when you throw in homelessness, food deserts, and bullying, which many students face. College students face an additional uphill battle because, for many, this is the first time they are away from home and responsible for themselves.
Unfortunately, pressure like this can force students to behave in ways they normally would not, and instead of it being viewed as a cry for help, their school accuses them of misbehaving, laziness, and lack of control. Working with an academic attorney from the moment you learn of a school issue is a great way to ensure you receive the best possible outcome for your case.
Spokane-Spokane Valley Metropolitan Area Schools
Academic attorney Joseph D. Lento can help Spokane-Spokane Valley metro area undergraduate and graduate students at:
- Spokane Community College
- Carrington College
- Community Colleges of Spokane
- Spokane Falls Community College
- Eastern Washington University Spokane
- Washington State University Spokane
- Gonzaga University
- University of Washington School of Medicine
Additionally, Attorney Lento can also work with elementary and secondary public school students who attend such schools as:
- Libby Center
- Sunrise Elementary School
- Greenacres Middle School
- Central Valley High School
- Riverbend Elementary School
- McDonald Elementary School
- Horizon Middle School
- West Valley High School
- Spokane International Academy
- Spokane Valley Learning Academy
- South Pines Elementary School
- Chester Elementary School
- The Community School
- Summit School
- Evergreen Middle School
- Spokane Valley High School
- University High School
Attorney Lento can also help students at private schools in this metro area, like:
- Gonzaga Preparatory School
- The Oaks Academy
- Genesis Preparatory Academy
- Valley Christian School
- St. Michael's Academy
- Immaculate Conception Academy
- St. Aloysius Gonzaga Catholic School
- All Saints School
- Cataldo Catholic School
- St. Thomas More School
- Palisades Christian Academy
- Lake City Academy
- North Walls Schools
In addition to the conventional academic settings described above, academic attorney Lento can also help students in miscellaneous programs, including:
- Spokane Valley Tech
- Paul Mitchell the School Spokane
- Newtech Skill Center
- Studio Beauty School
Disciplinary Defense in the Spokane-Spokane Valley Metropolitan Area
There are several reasons students tend to get in trouble in school, but mostly it is because they are navigating new responsibilities, emotions, and social experiences. As such, they begin to talk more or get flustered with their classmates more easily. For instance, a second grader might start flunking their timed math tests because they are overly concerned with how the other students are proceeding through each question. Or a college student might start binge drinking because of the growing stress of finals looming on the horizon.
Whatever the stressor, students who violate their code of conduct will be referred for a disciplinary hearing. Luckily, schools are supposed to provide students with certain rights, including having the opportunity to defend themselves from such accusations. Unfortunately, some schools overlook these rights and end up punishing students without giving them a chance to explain. An academic attorney advisor will ensure you are not needlessly punished by enforcing the school's policies and procedures surrounding a formal hearing.
Academic attorney advisor Lento will review accusations and determine the best course of action for your defense, which will include gathering evidence and witness testimony to present on your behalf. He will also work out the best way to cross-examine the other side's witness testimony and evidence to bolster your own argument.
At the end of the hearing, the committee will convene separately and review the evidence presented by either side and determine whether the student is responsible. If they decide the student is responsible, they will notify the student and explain the sanction they intend to impose.
It is important to remember, though, that the school will also outline a process for appeals. Usually, this process is described in that responsibility finding notification. Most schools require the student to make an appeal on a specific ground and submit it within a short period of time. A secondary committee will review the appeal and determine if the original decision should be upheld, amended, or revoked.
No matter the outcome, this appeal is generally final and cannot be appealed further.
Academic Progression Issues
Spokane-Spokane Valley metro area schools expect their students to meet certain expectations before they can progress to the next class, grade, or even graduation. If a student is unable to meet these expectations, they will be referred for either a dismissal hearing or a progression issue hearing.
For example, at The Oaks, students are required to complete 50 credits, take Latin all four years, and write a successful senior thesis for the Logic & Rhetoric course in order to graduate. But at the University of Washington School of Medicine, students are expected to proceed through the program at a specific pace. If the Student Progress Committee sees that a student is having a hard time passing their classes, exams, or clinicals, the student will be referred for remediation.
Remediation allows the student to retake the course, exam, or clinical in the hopes that it will help the student learn and understand the material better. When students are unable to complete their remediation appropriately, they are referred for dismissal from medical school altogether.
Academic Misconduct Issues
Some students have a difficult time completing their homework without assistance or finishing tests without extra help. When they are unable to get extra help or accommodations, or if they just simply feel unprepared for the exam, or other academic assignments, it is likely they will resort to cheating. This is especially true when the student already feels a tremendous amount of overwhelm and stress over how they will perform and what this performance means for their future.
Unfortunately, schools are unlikely to view this change in behavior as something to keep an eye on and instead punish the student without making a reasonable inquiry into the matter. Despite this, most schools require their students to uphold academic integrity at every moment. A
Academic integrity occurs when a student demonstrates authentic and ethical behavior in their academic settings, which is super important to creating an environment where students can truly develop. For academic integrity to prosper, academic misconduct must be snugged out. As such, students who are accused of academic misconduct are, most of the time, punished for this behavior.
While academic dishonesty is a blanket term that covers plagiarism and cheating, most schools have created specific definitions for actions that qualify as academic misconduct. At Central Valley High School, for instance, students are asked to avoid academic misconduct or face repercussions for their actions. For instance, students may not:
- Cheat: copying someone else's work and passing it off as your own.
- Plagiarizing: copying someone's work within your own and forgetting to cite the work.
- Fabricating information: using someone else's laboratory data, or creating your own without continuing an experiment, as if it were your own true findings.
When students are suspected of violating the academic integrity of the school, they will be referred for a dismissal hearing, and if there is enough evidence against them, they will be sanctioned accordingly.
Behavioral Misconduct Issues
Many students may not exhibit academic integrity or progression issues and instead act out in other ways. For instance, while a student may not try to cheat on an exam, they may be involved in a physical fight with another student, playing pranks on their teacher, or talking incessantly in class. Whatever the issue, academic attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento can help negotiate with your child's school to ensure they are receiving all the tools they need to succeed rather than being arbitrarily punished for their behavior.
At Carrington College, for example, students are supposed to abide by certain standards, including:
- Arriving to class fully prepared with their textbooks and supplies.
- Using the computers in the Student Success Center, Learning Lab, classrooms, and laboratories according to the posted guidelines.
- Keeping their equipment clean and returning it to its rightful place when necessary.
- Abide by OSHA standards when working in the laboratory classroom.
- Refraining from stealing or destroying the property of another or the college.
- Using the computer network to gamble, shop, chat online, or download software or files that are unrelated to school assignments.
- Helping someone else commit a code of conduct violation.
When a student at Carrington College is accused of violating any of these standards will be referred for a disciplinary hearing. If found responsible, the student will be punished. Punishments include:
- Zero grade for the entire paper, exam, or quiz.
- A failing grade for an entire course or lab course.
- Suspension for up to one academic year.
- Permanent expulsion.
Whatever the underlying disciplinary matter, the sanction is supposed to match the severity of the incident.
Title IX Sexual Misconduct Issues
There are several federal regulations that affect schools, but one of the most common ones is Title IX. Title IX requires federally funded schools to follow explicit steps when investigating accusations of gender-based discrimination, which they define as including conduct like domestic or intimate partner violence, stalking, sexual misconduct, and sexual harassment.
When a student is accused of violating Title IX, the incident will be investigated by a Title IX Coordinator or specific Title IX Investigator. They will determine whether there is enough merit to the claim. If they find there is, they will initiate the filing of a formal complaint. Once a formal complaint is filed, the school will refer the student for a Title IX hearing. During the hearing, the student has the same due process rights as other disciplinary hearings, including working with an attorney-advisor to help prepare them to defend themselves.
How an Academic Attorney-Advisor Can Help
Academic attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento has spent years helping students across the country accused of academic, behavioral, or Title IX issues. As such, he understands the intricacies that surround such accusations and how best to approach a defense. He will work tirelessly to ensure your child is not overly, or unnecessarily, punished by their school. Call the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team at 888-535-3686 today or schedule a consultation online.
