Academic misconduct: These are two words that you likely had hoped you'd never hear once you sent your child to a Kentucky high school. If your student faces allegations of academic misconduct, you likely have many questions swirling around your head. What does academic misconduct mean? What punishments will your child face?
And, most importantly: Is there anything you can do now to make sure this doesn't hurt your child's future?
Luckily, there is. Once you find out that your child stands accused of academic misconduct at their KY high school, it's vital that you jump into action right away. Being proactive in your child's academic misconduct investigation is the best way that you can protect them - and their future.
Kentucky high schools take academic misconduct very seriously, and there's a lot at stake. By working with an experienced student defense legal team, you'll be able to navigate due process confidently and set your child up for success.
What Actions Constitute KY High School Academic Misconduct?
“Academic misconduct” can sound like a vague term, so it's natural to wonder what it means. Schools tend to use the umbrella category of academic misconduct to describe unapproved behavior that happens on campus or surrounding academic activities.
In general, the types of actions that qualify as academic misconduct are those that violate basic rules of respect, safety, or academic integrity. For example, if any of the following scenarios apply, your school may be able to accuse your student of academic misconduct:
- Your student has acted in a way that gives them an unfair advantage over their peers in an academic capacity, such as using a cheat sheet or taking more time than allotted for an assignment
- Your student has caused a distraction or disruption in class, thereby interrupting the academic experience of their peers
- Your student has destroyed, damaged, lost, or stolen school property, causing your school financial harm and/or ensuring that other students cannot access that resource
- Your student has fabricated data or stolen an essay online in a way that constitutes plagiarism (even if accidental)
As you can see, there are many actions that may qualify as academic misconduct. In order to see what your specific school's expectations are for your student, it's a good idea to check out your child's student handbook or your high school's code of conduct. You can likely find links to both of these documents on your school's website. Your school should update this document yearly with relevant information for its entire academic community.
For example, using one Kentucky high school's code of conduct as a guide, schools in your area may not tolerate actions such as plagiarism, disruption, cheating, or abuse of school materials. Your school's code of conduct will define the specific illicit activities that your school wants your child to avoid - and, just as importantly, what your school will do if your student acts in an inappropriate way anyway.
The actions that your KY school will take after misconduct represent due process. The specific steps involved will help your school understand precisely what happened in an alleged event. Your student will also have a chance to defend themselves, which is an excellent opportunity for your legal representation to help you craft a strong statement.
Depending on the severity of the alleged incident, due process may include a formal hearing at your school. After your KY high school makes a decision as to guilt and makes a recommendation for restorative or punitive measures, your student may have a chance to appeal the decision.
KY High Schools and the Penalties for Academic Misconduct
The Kentucky Department of Education has specific student discipline guidelines and sample discipline codes, but it's important to remember that these are just guidelines and samples. For the best information about what your student will face at your exact Kentucky high school, it's still your best bet to refer to your student's code of conduct.
Examining one KY high school's code of conduct can paint a picture of the potential punitive measures your student may face. A typical list of consequences might include:
- A comprehensive re-education regarding the illicit behavior in question (e.g., plagiarism)
- Parent-teacher communication
- A note on your child's permanent record
- A meeting with school administration
- Removal of the student from the school environment
- Referral to external law enforcement
- In-school or out-of-school suspension
- Community service
- Expulsion
- Detention
- Probation
If it seems like there's a lot at stake, it's because there is. Even this already-intimidating list of potential consequences, however, doesn't constitute the totality of what your student might face.
A record of academic misconduct could do more than just affect your child's current academic reputation. These kinds of incidents tend to have long-ranging ramifications. As a result of this allegation, your child could have a hard time applying for scholarships and future schooling opportunities. Your child could even suffer later, when it comes to finding their dream job or beginning their career.
When you're looking to protect your student, you need a superior, skilled legal team on your side. From Jefferson County to Fayette, Kenton, and Boone, you can work with an empathetic and experienced legal advisor to be proactive about your student's case.
A KY High School Student Defense Expert Ready to Help You
When you discover that your student faces academic misconduct allegations, you need experience and expertise on your side. It'll be easy to feel like you're on your own - but that simply isn't the case. Aggressive, hard-working student defense advisor Joseph D. Lento is ready to help you and your student work towards a favorable outcome. For years, Joseph D. Lento has supported students throughout due process, misconduct investigations, adjudicative hearings, and more. If you're looking for the legal team to build a case for your student's innocence and protect their rights, you're in the right place. To learn more about student defense in Kentucky, contact the Lento Law Firm online or call 888-535-3686 today.
Kentucky 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
- Adair County Schools
- Allen County Schools
- Anchorage Independent Schools
- Anderson County Schools
- Ashland Independent School District
- Augusta Independent Schools
B
- Ballard County Schools
- Barbourville Independent Schools
- Bardstown City Schools
- Barren County Schools
- Bath County Schools
- Beechwood Independent School District (Fort Mitchell)
- Bell County Schools
- Bellevue Independent Schools
- Berea Independent Schools
- Boone County Schools
- Bourbon County Schools
- Bowling Green Independent Schools
- Boyd County Public Schools
- Boyle County School District
- Bracken County Schools
- Breathitt County Schools
- Breckinridge County Schools
- Bullitt County Public Schools
- Burgin Independent Schools
- Butler County Schools
C
- Caldwell County Schools
- Calloway County Schools
- Campbell County Schools
- Campbellsville Independent Schools
- Carlisle County Schools
- Carroll County Schools
- Carter County Schools
- Casey County Schools
- Caverna Independent Schools (Cave City/Horse Cave)
- Christian County Public Schools
- Clark County Schools
- Clay County Schools
- Clinton County Schools
- Cloverport Independent Schools
- Corbin Independent School District
- Covington Independent Public Schools
- Crittenden County Schools
- Cumberland County Schools
D
- Danville Independent Schools
- Daviess County Public Schools
- Dawson Springs Independent Schools
- Dayton Independent Schools
E
- East Bernstadt Independent School
- Edmonson County Schools
- Elizabethtown Independent Schools
- Elliott County Schools
- Eminence Independent Schools
- Erlanger-Elsmere Schools
- Estill County Schools
F
- Fairview Independent Schools (Westwood, Boyd County)
- Fayette County Public Schools
- Fleming County Schools
- Floyd County Schools
- Fort Thomas Independent Schools
- Frankfort Independent Schools
- Franklin County Public Schools
- Fulton County Schools
- Fulton Independent Schools
G
- Gallatin County Schools
- Garrard County Schools
- Glasgow Independent Schools
- Grant County Schools
- Graves County Schools
- Grayson County Schools
- Green County Schools
- Greenup County Schools
H
- Hancock County Schools
- Hardin County Schools
- Harlan County Public Schools
- Harlan Independent Schools
- Harrison County Schools
- Hart County Schools
- Hazard Independent Schools
- Henderson County Schools
- Henry County Schools
- Hickman County Schools
- Hopkins County Schools
J
- Jackson County Public Schools
- Jackson Independent School District
- Jefferson County Public Schools
- Jenkins Independent Schools
- Jessamine County Schools
- Johnson County Schools
K
- Kenton County School District
- Kentucky District
- Knott County Schools
- Knox County Public Schools
L
- LaRue County Schools
- Laurel County Schools
- Lawrence County Schools
- Lee County School District
- Leslie County Schools
- Letcher County Public Schools
- Lewis County Schools
- Lincoln County Schools
- Livingston County Schools
- Logan County Schools
- Ludlow Independent Schools
- Lyon County Schools
M
- Madison County Schools
- Magoffin County Schools
- Marion County Schools
- Marshall County Schools
- Martin County Schools
- Mason County Schools
- Mayfield Independent Schools
- McCracken County Public Schools
- McCreary County Schools
- McLean County Schools
- Meade County Schools
- Menifee County Schools
- Mercer County Schools
- Metcalfe County Schools
- Middlesboro Independent Schools
- Monroe County School District
- Montgomery County Schools
- Monticello Independent School
- Morgan County Schools
- Muhlenberg County Schools
- Murray Independent Schools
N
- Nelson County School District
- Newport Independent Schools
- Nicholas County Schools
O
- Ohio County Schools
- Oldham County Schools
- Owen County Schools
- Owensboro Public Schools
- Owsley County Schools
P
- Paducah Public Schools
- Paintsville Independent Schools
- Paris Independent Schools
- Pendleton County Schools
- Perry County Schools
- Pike County Schools
- Pikeville Independent Schools
- Pineville Independent Schools
- Powell County Schools
- Pulaski County Schools
R
- Raceland-Worthington Independent Schools
- Robertson County Schools
- Rockcastle County Schools
- Rowan County Schools
- Russell County Schools
- Russell Independent Schools (Russell, Flatwoods, and Bellefonte)
- Russellville Independent Schools
S
- Science Hill Independent Schools
- Scott County Schools
- Shelby County Public Schools
- Silver Grove Independent Schools
- Simpson County Schools
- Somerset Independent Schools
- Southgate Independent Schools
- Spencer County Schools
T
- Taylor County Schools
- Todd County Schools
- Trigg County Schools
- Trimble County Schools
U
- Union County Schools
W
- Walton-Verona Independent Schools
- Warren County Public Schools
- Washington County Schools
- Wayne County Schools
- Webster County Schools
- West Point School
- Whitley County School District
- Williamsburg Independent Schools
- Williamstown Independent Schools
- Wolfe County Schools
- Woodford County Schools
It is critical to make certain academic misconduct charges at your child's Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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.
