Students at all levels of study, be it K-12, undergraduate, or graduate levels, can find themselves getting into trouble with school authorities. From relatively minor academic issues such as cheating, plagiarism, or issues with academic progression to comparatively more serious behavioral misconduct issues such as assault or bullying, students can be held responsible for many forms of misconduct.
However, it isn't always the student's fault. Sometimes school authorities make mistakes in identifying the student responsible for misbehavior or apply their rules and policies in an unfair manner, targeting a particular student.
Whether the student is at fault or not, consulting with an education lawyer always helps. Experienced education lawyer Joseph D. Lento, who has over 20 years of experience in student defense, can help lessen or get rid of the charges against your student and help protect their academic record.
Schools can be very strict about misconduct and other issues involving education law and may dole out punishments such as a warning, suspension, or dismissal.
The Lento Law Firm and Attorney-advisor Lento can help ensure your student does not face undue negative consequences and are available for your student's defense across the Des Moines-West Des Moines metropolitan area.
Des Moines Metropolitan Area
The Des Moines metro area, officially known as the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area, is spread over an area of 9300 square kilometers and is home to a population of 709,466, according to the latest Census.
The metro area encompasses six central Iowa counties. These are Polk, Dallas, Warren, Madison, Guthrie, and Jasper. It includes the city of Des Moines, which is the capital of Iowa. A number of financial services and insurance companies have their headquarters in Des Moines, and the city was named the “number one spot for US insurance companies” by Business Wire. The city is also home to 5 Fortune 1000 companies and has many of the state's best schools, colleges, and universities.
Special education lawyer Joseph D. Lento knows the Des Moines metro area extremely well and has years of experience representing students in the area in cases of student discipline defense and other cases involving education law.
Student Concerns in Des Moines Metro Area
As with students in any other part of the country, Des Moines metro area students face the same concerns and pressures of student life: the requirement of keeping up good grades, maintaining healthy student-teacher relationships, working part-time, managing housing, transport, and monthly bills, and much more. Des Moines area metro students may also face additional concerns peculiar to the area – such as adapting to life in a different cultural environment, moving away from home to attend college, and so on.
All of this can exacerbate existing problems in students and create new ones. Students may act out or behave unexpectedly and find themselves facing allegations of misconduct. Other times, the pressure to perform well academically may force a student to resort to unfair means, and a single mistake could result in a massive black mark on a student's academic record.
Schools, too, tend to be very strict and are not always understanding of a student's circumstances. If they hold a student responsible for any misconduct, they could mete out punishment ranging from suspension to expulsion. The best thing to do in these cases is to consult an attorney advisor right away. An education lawyer can tell you what to do and make sure your student's rights are upheld.
Des Moines Metro Area Schools
Whatever your student's study program, be it at the K-12 level, college, or university, the Lento Law Firm's student defense team can represent them in any case of student discipline or education law, from misconduct to progression issues and more. The Lento Law Firm is available to defend students in the following Des Moines colleges and universities, to name a few:
- Grand View University
- Drake University
- Simpson College
- Mercy College of Health Sciences
- Faith Baptist Bible College
- Upper Iowa University – Des Moines
- Purdue University Global – Des Moines
- Drake University Agricultural
- Kingsway University and Theological Seminary
- Des Moines University
- University of Iowa
- William Penn University Online and Graduate Studies
- Grand View University Viking
- Franklin University
Joseph Lento and the Lento Law Firm's student defense team are also available to defend students studying in the following K-12 schools in the Des Moines metro area:
- Dowling Catholic High School
- Sacred Heart School
- St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School
- AlRazi Academy
- Des Moines Christian School
- Fairmont Education Inc.
- Joshua Christian Academy
- Montessori Children's House
- Mid-Prairie Community School District
- Holy Trinity Catholic School
- St. Anthony Elementary School
- St. Pius X School
- Christ The King School
- Bergman Academy
- St. Theresa School
- St. Augustin Catholic School
- Holy Family Catholic School
- St. Joseph Elementary School
- Victory Christian Academy
- Shepherd's Flock Early Learning Center
- New Horizon's Academy
- Mount Olive Lutheran School
- House of Mercy – John R Grubb Development Center
- Des Moines Adventist School
- Dallas Center Christian School
- Fairmount Education
- St. Malachy School
- Cadence Academy Preschool Grand
Education Law and Student Defense in Des Moines Metro Area
Getting into disciplinary trouble in school, college or university doesn't mean one is a bad student or is problematic. Given the zeal with which school authorities uphold their rules and policies, it is very common for students to be wrongfully or unfairly accused of academic or behavioral misconduct. Being held responsible for behaviors such as cheating, plagiarism, fighting, bullying, classroom disruption, and more can be very common and does not reflect poorly upon the student.
But these instances can leave an indelible mark on a student's career if not dealt with carefully. Consulting with a special education attorney advisor can help ensure you do not make a mistake and deal with these cases in the best possible way.
Attorney Lento and the Lento Law Firm have spent years extricating students from tricky situations involving student discipline and education law and can help you or your student too.
Academic Progression Issues
Schools, colleges, and universities have certain academic standards to meet in order to retain their reputation as premier educational institutes. They expect students to obtain good grades, meet minimum course requirements, and reasonably complete all or most assignments in order to pass. Besides this, federally funded educational institutions are required to meet SAP (satisfactory academic performance) standards, or they risk losing funding.
Towards that end, school and college authorities can get strict with regard to academic performance and penalize students who don't meet those standards. But these standards may not always be applied equally to all students, or an over-enthusiastic instructor may end up being too hard on students. If you find yourself or your student facing academic progression issues with your school, college, or university, do not hesitate to consult a special education lawyer, who can help you navigate school rules and challenge an unfair dismissal or poor grade.
Besides errors on the part of school authorities, there may be valid and explainable reasons why a student was unable to perform adequately on an exam or an assignment. Under school and state laws, students may be entitled to appeal a dismissal if there have been mitigating circumstances that explain their academic performance.
Having access to an education lawyer will help you know what to do in these situations and how to limit the damage to your student's academic record. Joseph Lento and the Lento Law Firm have helped many students navigate the peculiarities of education law and defend them in cases of student discipline. They can help your student too. Don't hesitate to reach out to the Lento Law Firm if you need help.
Academic Misconduct Issues
Schools do not allow any form of academic misconduct involving cheating, plagiarism, computer misuse, or bribery to occur. Instances of academic misconduct are painstakingly sought out and punished – to avoid students taking undue advantage.
These rules are laid out in academic conduct codes such as the Academic Conduct regulations at Iowa State University or the Academic Policies at Des Moines University.
But often, school authorities make a mistake. Plagiarism detection software can put forward false positives, or instructors could be mistaken about the level of similarity between two papers. Do not let your student bear the brunt of such mistakes or errors in judgment – if they are accused of academic misconduct, contact an education lawyer immediately. Premier student defense and education attorney advisor Joseph Lento knows exactly what to do to extricate you or your student from such instances and can successfully the complex web of school rules and regulations.
Behavioral Misconduct Issues
As centers of education and excellence, schools, colleges, and universities have a reputation to maintain – and want to make sure their campuses are free of disruptive or criminal behavior. This is why behaviors such as violence, bullying, vandalism, assault, and weapon or drug use are often prohibited. Most schools and colleges in the Des Moines metro area have detailed guidelines laying out acceptable and unacceptable behaviors for students, such as the Student Code of Conduct at Des Moines University or the Student Code of Conduct at Iowa State University.
However, sometimes students are unfairly held responsible for behavioral misconduct for no fault of their own. School authorities can make a mistake or can act on false information. Other times, a student may be punished unfairly and overly strictly, even for a minor issue. Having an education attorney advisor to guide and represent your student ensures that school authorities do not go overboard in punishing your student and apply their rules fairly and uniformly. The Lento Law Firm and Attorney-advisor Lento are available to represent your student in the Des Moines metro area. With years of experience getting students through cases of behavioral misconduct and achieving the best possible outcome, the Lento Law Firm is well placed to protect your student's rights and potentially avoid any negative consequences.
Title IX Sexual Misconduct Issues
Any form of sexual misconduct is punished strictly by educational institutions. Be it a school, college, or university – all educational institutions have strict guidelines prohibiting behaviors such as sexual assault, sexual harassment, and sexual discrimination.
Additionally, schools receiving federal funding are supposed to follow federal Title IX guidelines around sexual misconduct. These guidelines prohibit actions such as sexual assault and harassment and require schools to deal strictly with such behavior.
Being accused of sexual misconduct can damage your student's academic record badly. Even a suspension would result in a noticeable and unexplainable gap in their college transcripts, and expulsion would mean the end of their study program. But school and college authorities don't always apply these guidelines uniformly and fairly. Moreover, they can sometimes be mistaken or misled, leading them to wrongly accuse and punish a student for sexual misconduct.
An education lawyer who is well-versed in student discipline defense and knows the ins and outs of school and college rules in the Des Moines metro area is your best bet to ensure a favorable outcome. Attorney Lento has helped many students navigate tricky cases of sexual misconduct and can help make sure your student is not punished unfairly.
Nationwide Education Attorney Advisor Importance
Student discipline allegations can be very serious and can result in severe punishment, including suspension and dismissal. Getting involved in a disciplinary case can ruin a promising student's career or, at the very least, pose a major setback that could take years to overcome.
An experienced student defense attorney advisor can help protect you or your student from unwanted consequences and guide them through tricky legal or disciplinary issues. Consider retaining Attorney Lento for your student's defense – with over 20 years of experience representing students across the country, he knows exactly what to do to ensure a favorable outcome for your student. Call 888.535.3686 or go online now.
