When your student first started at their Colorado high school, you likely received bundles of paperwork - including the school's student handbook and code of conduct. Flipping through that document may have revealed stern warnings against vague-sounding illicit behavior.
Now that your child stands accused of academic misconduct, you might be revisiting the paperwork. You might wonder what ‘academic misconduct' really means. You might wonder: What happens next? Is my child going to be okay? Is there anything I can do to protect my child - and their future - from the consequences of this incident?
Fortunately, you can.
By starting early and being proactive about holding your school accountable for respecting your child's rights, you can give your student a much higher chance of success in their case. Working with a clever, capable CO student defense advisor can provide your child with the edge they need to ensure their future remains bright.
Academic Misconduct in Colorado High Schools: Definitions and School Expectations
Your student's high school handbook or code of conduct likely contains long lists of actions that your school considers punishable. However, some lists are more detailed than others - and none are truly exhaustive. When your student stands accused of academic misconduct, your first reaction may be to figure out what that truly means.
You have three starting sources of information to delve into the details of what truly happened:
- Your school's code of conduct: Colorado Revised Statutes Title 22 Education § 22-32-109.1 states that your school must have “a concisely written conduct and discipline code that shall be enforced uniformly, fairly, and consistently for all students.” If you don't have a copy on hand, you should be able to find a link to an updated version on your school's website. This document should contain specific details of your school's expectations regarding your child - including examples of illicit behavior.
- Your student's account: When you and your advisor work to build a case to suggest your child's innocence, you'll need to know what your student believes truly happened. Your student's account may also suggest a starting place for an investigation, evidence, or witness accounts to build that case.
- The notification of misconduct from your school: Once your school sets its due process in motion, it should send you a written notification explaining your student's charges. This will also be vital for informing your case.
- You'll need to check your unique code of conduct in order to learn what prohibited behavior your school finds punishable. Using one Colorado high school code of conduct as an example, we can posit that the most common forms of academic misconduct in high schools are:
- Plagiarism involves “presenting as new and original an idea…derived from an existing source.” Whenever your student uses words or thoughts from another person's body of work without properly citing the source, your student plagiarizes. Importantly, accidental plagiarism is very easy, common - and punishable. You need to make sure that your student knows to use proper citations in all of their school assignments.
- Cheating involves any situation in which your student gives themselves an unfair and illicit advantage over their peers in an academic setting. For example, if your student uses a cheat sheet during a test or takes more time than allotted for a specific assignment, your school could accuse your student of cheating.
- Unauthorized collaboration or unauthorized assistance involves working with another student or students on an exam or assignment without express permission from the teacher or receiving help that is not allowed
- Disruptive Behavior is an umbrella term that many schools use to describe actions that teachers do not appreciate in their classrooms. As such, this type of unapproved behavior could range from the use of cell phones in class all the way to shouting at a teacher.
- Abusing School Resources is problematic for two reasons. If your student damages, loses, or steals property that belongs to your high school, it may cause your school financial harm. Secondly, if your student damages a resource, that could affect other students who may no longer be able to use that same resource.
Clearly, there is a wide range of actions that your school could consider punishable. In order to give your child their best chance, you need to work with an advisor with experience defending high school students from a variety of charges.
CO High Schools and the Penalties for Academic Misconduct
From Denver County to El Paso, Jefferson, and Larimer, schools may have slightly different policies on what they do and do not allow. Their recommendations for punitive measures may vary slightly, as well.
However, just as most Colorado schools do not condone cheating, plagiarism, disruptive behavior, or abusing their resources, many Colorado schools will take similar action when a student acts in an inappropriate way. While consulting your own school's code of conduct will reveal the most specific policies available to your situation, taking a quick look at another Colorado school’s policies reveals that typical restorative measures may include:
- Removal from the school: Your school could put your student through probation, suspension, or even expulsion.
- Meetings or communications with school staff
- Re-education regarding the alleged infraction
- Community Service
- A direct hit to your child's reputation
That last point may be the most pertinent. If your child has academic misconduct on their record, it could affect your child's future chances when applying to further opportunities, including college and potentially beyond.
You can take steps now to make sure that this does not happen.
A Skilled, Seasoned High School Student Defense Advisor in Colorado
When you start working to figure out what needs to happen with your child's academic misconduct case, it's easy to get overwhelmed - fast. From paperwork to statements, intense meetings, investigations, and more: Managing due process at your CO high school can be frustrating, confusing, and scary. Joseph D. Lento has years of experience guiding families through academic misconduct processes to favorable outcomes. Whether your high school adjudicates your student's misconduct through an investigation or a hearing, Joseph D. Lento will aggressively represent your student, build a strong case to suggest their innocence, and assist you in protecting your child's future. To learn more about student defense in Colorado, contact the Lento Law Firm online or call 888-535-3686 today.
Colorado high schools where Joseph D. Lento can help as your child's student's academic misconduct advisor during investigations, hearings and appeals include, but are not limited to, the following school districts:
A
- Academy School District 20
- Adams County School District 12 Five Star Schools
- Adams County School District 14
- Adams-Arapahoe School District
- Agate School District 300
- Aguilar School District RE-6
- Akron Public Schools
- Alamosa School District RE-11J
- Archuleta School District 50J
- Arickaree R-2 School District
- Arriba-Flagler Consolidated School District 20
- Aspen School District
- Ault-Highlands School District
B
- Bayfield School District 10 JT-R
- Bennett School District 29J
- Bethune School District R-5
- Big Sandy School District 100J
- Boulder Valley School District
- Branson School District RE-82
- Briggsdale RE-10J School District
- Brighton School District 27J
- Brush Public Schools
- Buena Vista School District R-31
- Buffalo School District RE-4
- Burlington School District RE-6J
- Byers School District
C
- Calhan School District RJ-1
- Campo School District RE-6
- Centennial School District R-1
- Center Consolidated School District 26JT
- Cheraw School District 31
- Cherry Creek School District, Colorado
- Cheyenne County School District RE-5
- Cheyenne Mountain School District 12
- Clear Creek School District RE-1
- Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind
- Colorado Springs School District 11
- Cotopaxi School District RE-3
- Creede Consolidated School District 1
- Cripple Creek-Victor School District RE-1
- Crowley County School District RE-1J
- Custer County School District C-1
D
- De Beque School District 49JT
- Deer Trail School District 26J
- Del Norte School District C-7
- Delta County School District 50-J
- Denver County 1 School District
- Dolores County School District RE-2J
- Dolores School District RE-4A
- Douglas County School District Re-1
- Durango School District 9-R
E
- Eads School District RE-1
- Eagle County School District RE-50
- East Grand School District 2
- East Otero School District R-1
- Eaton School District RE-2
- Edison School District 54JT
- Elbert School District 200
- Elizabeth School District C-1
- Ellicott School District 22
- Englewood Schools
F
- Falcon School District 49
- Fort Morgan County School District RE-3
- Fort Lupton School District RW-8
- Fountain School District 8
- Fowler School District R-4J
- Fremont School District RE-2
- Frenchman School District RE-3
G
- Garfield County School District 16
- Garfield School District RE-2
- Genoa-Hugo School District C113
- Gilpin County School District RE-1
- Granada School District RE-1
- Greeley-Evans School District 6
- Gunnison Watershed School District RE1J
H
- Hanover School District 28
- Harrison School District Two, Colorado
- Haxtun School District RE-2J
- Hayden School District RE-1
- Hinsdale County School District RE-1
- Hi-Plains School District R-3
- Hoehne School District R-3
- Holly School District RE-3
- Holyoke School District RE-1J
- Huerfano School District RE-1
I
- Idalia School District RJ-3
- Ignacio School District 11-JT
J
- Jeffco Public Schools, Colorado
- Johnstown-Milliken RE-5J School District
- Julesburg School District RE-1
K
- Karval School District RE-23
- Keenesburg School District RE-3
- Kim School District RE-88
- Kiowa County School District RE-1
- Kiowa School District C-2
- Kit Carson School District R-1
L
- La Veta School District RE-2
- Lake County School District R-1
- Lamar School District RE-2
- Las Animas School District RE-1
- Lewis-Palmer School District 38
- Liberty School District J-4
- Limon School District RE-4J
- Littleton Public Schools
- Lone Star School District 101
M
- Mancos School District RE-6
- Manitou Springs School District 14
- Manzanola School District 3J
- Mapleton Public Schools
- McClave School District RE-2
- Meeker School District RE-1
- Mesa County Valley School District 51
- Miami-Yoder School District 60JT
- Moffat County School District RE-1
- Moffat School District 2
- Monte Vista School District
- Montezuma-Cortez School District RE-1
- Montrose County School District RE-1J
- Mountain Valley School District RE-1
N
- North Conejos School District RE-1J
- North Park School District R-1
- Norwood School District R-2J
O
- Otis School District R-3
- Ouray School District R-1
P
- Park County School District RE-2
- Park (Estes Park) School District R-3
- Pawnee School District RE-12
- Peyton School District 23JT
- Plainview School District RE-2
- Plateau School District RE-5
- Plateau Valley School District 50
- Platte Canyon School District 1
- Platte Valley School District RE-3
- Poudre School District
- Prairie School District RE-11
- Primero School District RE-2
- Pritchett School District RE-3
- Pueblo School District 60
- Pueblo School District 70
R
- Rangely School District RE-4
- Ridgway School District R-2
- Roaring Fork School District RE-1
- Rocky Ford School District R-2
S
- Saint Vrain Valley School District
- Salida School District R-32J
- Sanford School District 6J
- Sangre De Cristo School District
- Sargent School District RE-33J
- Sheridan School District
- Sierra Grande School District R-30
- Silverton School District 1
- South Conejos School District RE-10
- South Routt School District RE-3
- Springfield School District RE-4
- Steamboat Springs School District RE-2
- Strasburg School District 31J
- Stratton School District R-4
- Summit School District RE-1
- Swink School District 33
T
- Telluride School District R-1
- Thompson School District R-2J
- Trinidad School District 1
V
- Valley School District RE-1
- Vilas School District RE-5
W
- Walsh School District RE-1
- Weld County School District RE-1
- Weld County School District RE-8
- Weldon Valley School District RE-20J
- West End School District RE-2
- West Grand School District 1-JT
- Widefield School District 3
- Wiggins School District RE-50(J)
- Wiley School District RE-13JT
- Windsor School District RE-4
- Woodland Park School District RE-2
- Woodlin School District R-104
- Wray School District RD2
Y
- Yuma School District 1
It is critical to make certain academic misconduct charges at your child's Colorado high school are handled properly and that the accused student's interests and rights are protected from as early as possible during the investigative and disciplinary process. One reason, among many, is because even at high schools where a finding of responsibility for academic misconduct is made at a hearing, the investigation will set the stage for what the hearing panel is provided prior to a hearing (and what the hearing panel will in large part rely on at a hearing), and at high schools where the finding of responsibility is made solely through the investigative process, what takes place during the investigation itself will determine whether the accused student is found responsible or not responsible for academic misconduct.
Unfortunately, some parents make the mistake of not taking the necessary precautions as soon as possible when their child is accused of academic misconduct. Some people will mistakenly believe that if they "just explain what happened," their school will be fair and impartial and will arrive at the truth. In a perfect world this may be the case, but in a perfect world, being called to answer for alleged academic misconduct would not exist.
Fighting passionately for the future of his clients at schools throughout the nation for many years, Joseph D. Lento knows how important it is to mount the strongest defense because he understands that an accused high school student's academic future is on the line. He does not settle for the easiest outcome, and instead prioritizes his clients' needs and well-being. Joseph Lento is a licensed attorney in New Jersey and New York, is admitted as an attorney pro hac vice in state and federal court if needed when representing clients nationwide, and serves as an academic misconduct advisor to high school students facing investigations and disciplinary cases in Colorado and throughout the nation. Make certain your or your student's interests are protected - Contact National High School Academic Misconduct Defense Attorney Joseph D. Lento today at 888-535-3686.
