Student life can be a stressful undertaking. Degree-seeking youth are subject to rigorous academic workloads, a changing social scene, and preparing for the transformation into adult life. Unfortunately, a student facing disciplinary action while juggling so many things can feel as if there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

The sad fate of a star senior soccer goalie from Stanford University is now in the spotlight after fear over potential disciplinary action from the school may have contributed to her suicide. Following the incident, student discipline and its effect on a student's mental health entered the national conversation.

Disciplinary Action Adds Stress to Student Life

Parents of the passed soccer star explained they now believe an upcoming decision regarding disciplinary action from Stanford University caused their daughter fear, adding to her academic load and effort toward being a standout soccer player. Today reports that in the search for a reason for their daughter's death, her parents discovered emails detailing months-worth of correspondence with the school's disciplinary officials.

Reportedly, the 22-year-old "was defending a teammate on campus over an incident and the repercussions of her defending that teammate (were possibly resulting in disciplinary action)," the girl's father said. Her mother added, "This letter was kind of the final letter that there was going to be a trial or some kind of something. This is the only thing that we can come up with that triggered something."

Mental Health Concerns on College Campuses

The National College Health Assessment (NCHA) shows that the mental health of the average student is nearing a breaking point. The findings of the annual study paint a grim picture of the reality of mental health on college campuses.

• 58 percent of students claimed they are under "moderate" or "serious" psychological distress
• 45 percent of students reported suffering from anxiety or feeling of panic
• 44 percent of students rated the overall level of stress as "high"
• 35 percent of students screened "positive" for suicidal thoughts and feelings

Sound Mind, Strong Defense

When students receive an email that they are subject to disciplinary action by their school, it may feel like the end of an academic career they have fought hard for. The process for many schools is fast and loose, and since code of conduct hearings are not a court of law, students are not always afforded due process.

Stress from this will only make a student's academic life tougher to handle. However, if you are a student facing exhausting disciplinary action, there is someone with the experience to help defend you against a school's heavy-handed administration.

Joseph D. Lento is an attorney-advisor with exceptional knowledge in dealing with school disciplinary boards across the country. Attorney Lento and his passionate team at the Lento Law Firm pride themselves on their empathy with students in their cases and work tirelessly to get them back to their studies. Reach out to the Lento Law Firm for help at 888-535-3686 today to schedule an evaluation of your case. You or your child's peace of mind depends on it.