An academic misconduct charge can disrupt your child's life. Washington high schools take academic integrity seriously. Many local schools invoke strict punishments for students who fail to uphold their academic integrity standards. An academic misconduct determination not only damages your child's reputation, but it can also threaten their future.
Many parents are unaware that they can challenge the charges and may even be able to appeal the decision. An academic misconduct attorney can help you protect your child's rights. Attorney Joseph D. Lento and Lento Law Firm have years of experience defending students in a wide range of cases. If your child faces academic misconduct charges, it's pivotal to fight back. Here's what you need to know.
What is academic misconduct?
Academic misconduct refers to the breach of an academic integrity policy. It typically refers to an action that creates an unfair academic advantage for oneself. If your child faces academic misconduct charges, it's important to review the school's policy. You can frequently find academic integrity information in the school's code of conduct handbook or on their website.
Although academic misconduct policies vary by school, some actions are universally prohibited. Common forms of academic misconduct include:
Cheating Cheating is the most common type of academic misconduct. One survey revealed that 95 percent of high school students admit to some form of academic cheating. Academic cheating may refer to using someone else's work as your own or failing to follow the rules on an assignment or exam.
Plagiarism Plagiarism is another common method of academic misconduct and cheating. Schools frequently define plagiarism as taking credit for someone else's work or failing to identify sources on an assignment.
Self-plagiarism Self-plagiarism refers to reusing or resubmitting previous work without permission. Many students are unaware that self-plagiarism is an academic integrity violation.
Unauthorized collaboration Unauthorized collaboration occurs when students work with others on academic work without permission. Students may not use the help of others on papers, tests, or projects without first clearing it with their instructor.
Disrupting the classroom High schools typically punish students whose conduct interferes with learning. Examples include interrupting speakers, speaking out of turn, and showing aggression to other students or instructors.
What happens if the school accuses your child of academic misconduct?
High schools determine the process for which they handle academic conduct violations. The school's response to academic misconduct typically depends on the severity and frequency of the charges.
If a school accuses your child of academic misconduct, you must know their rights. Washington schools frequently provide students with protections throughout the disciplinary process. Seattle Public Schools, for instance, provides students these rights:
- Receive reasonable consequences and learn from mistakes
- Freedom from unlawful discrimination
- Freedom to petition for a redress of grievances
Seattle Public Schools also provide students the right to explain their side of the story to a teacher, support staff, or school leader before being disciplined for breaking rules. Families are permitted to meet with school staff to resolve the problem and recommend disciplinary responses. Students are also guaranteed the right to appeal any imposed discipline.
However, Seattle Public Schools do have the right to suspend or expel students if they pose a danger to other students or school personnel or are an immediate and continuing threat of disruption.
You should contact an attorney if you're worried about infringement of your child's rights or unreasonable punishment. An attorney can work with you to review school policies and facilitate conversations with school faculty.
What are the consequences for academic misconduct?
Consequences of academic misconduct range from minor to severe. Washington schools typically take into account the type of misconduct and the number of offenses before punishing students.
Here is an example of the types of punishment your child might face should they commit a similar offense. The following consequences are outlined in the academic honesty policy of Bellevue's Interlake High School:
Level 1 (1st offense, lower-level assignment) Student to redo the assignment for partial or full credit. The teacher to notify the parent and check-in with the student one week from the incident.
Level 2 (2nd offense or major assignment) Student to redo the assignment for partial or full credit. The teacher to coordinate with the assistant principal, hold a parent conference, and check-in with the student two weeks from the incident.
Level 3 (multiple offenses or involving assessment or project with significant impact on grade) Student to redo the assignment for partial credit, attend weekly check-ins with a counselor or assistant principal, and attend in-school suspension. The teacher to attend a parent conference.
Level 4 (persistent offense or offense involves stealing/providing test answer to students) Student to redo the assignment for partial credit, attend weekly check-ins with a counselor or assistant principal, and attend out-of-school suspension. The teacher to attend a parent conference.
Level 5 (more than one level 4 offense in a class within a semester) Student to receive no credit for the course, attend out-of-school suspension, check-in with counselors and assistant principal during the subsequent semester or school year. The assistant principal to determine parent conferences.
How can a professional academic misconduct advisor help?
Because they do not appreciate the seriousness of these charges, some parents refuse to seek the help of an advisor. However, it's crucial to seek guidance from an expert attorney. Academic misconduct charges can follow your child for years. It can harm their reputation and have collateral consequences down the road. Your child may face issues that impact their ability to graduate, access higher education, or seek out scholarships.
An attorney-advisor can guide you every step of the way throughout the investigation process. Not only can they help you gather evidence to create the strongest possible defense, but they can also identify any violation of rights by the school. An attorney will ensure you have the best chance at a positive outcome and can help you file an appeal if needed.
Don't let a mistake jeopardize your child's future. The Lento Law Firm has a tremendous track record of success fighting on behalf of students accused of misconduct. Their experienced attorneys will help you protect your child's reputation and advocate on their behalf. Contact the Lento Law Firm at 888-555-3686 to schedule a consultation today.
Washington 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
- Aberdeen School District
- Adna School District
- Almira School District
- Anacortes School District
- Arlington School District
- Asotin-Anatone School District
- Auburn School District
B
- Bainbridge School District
- Battle Ground School District
- Bellevue School District
- Bellingham School District
- Benge School District
- Bethel School District
- Bickleton School District
- Blaine School District
- Boistfort School District
- Bremerton School District
- Brewster School District
- Bridgeport School District
- Brinnon School District
- Burlington-Edison School District
C
- Camas School District
- Cape Flattery School District
- Carbonado School District
- Cascade School District
- Cashmere School District
- Castle Rock School District
- Centerville School District
- Central Kitsap School District
- Central Valley School District
- Centralia School District
- Chehalis School District
- Cheney School District
- Chewlah School District
- Chimacum School District
- Clarkston School District
- Cle Elum-Roslyn School District
- Clover School District
- Colfax School District
- College Place School District
- Colton School District
- Columbia School District (Stevens)
- Columbia School District (Walla Walla)
- Colville School District
- Concrete School District
- Conway Consolidated School District
- Cosmopolis School District
- Coulee-Hartline School District
- Coupeville School District
- Crescent School District
- Creston School District
- Curlew School District
- Cusick School District
D
- Damman School District
- Darrington School District
- Davenport School District
- Dayton School District
- Deer Park School District
- Dieringer School District
- Dixie School District
E
- East Valley School District (Yakima)
- East Valley School District (Spokane)
- Eastmont School District
- Easton School District
- Eatonville School District
- Edmonds School District
- Ellensburg School District
- Elma School District
- Endicott School District
- Entiat School District
- Enumclaw School District
- Ephrata School District
- Evaline School District
- Everrett School District
- Evergreen Public Schools (Clark)
- Evergreen School District (Stevens)
F
- Federal Way School District
- Ferndale School District
- Fife Public School District
- Finley School District
- Franklin Pierce School District
- Freeman School District
G
- Garfield School District
- Glenwood School District
- Goldendale School District
- Grand Coulee Dam School District
- Grandview School District
- Granger School District
- Granite Falls School District
- Grapeview School District
- Great Northern School District
- Green Mountain School District
- Griffin School District
H
- Harrington School District
- Highland School District
- Highline School District
- Hockinson School District
- Hood Canal School District
- Hoquiam School District
I
- Inchelium School District
- Index School District
- Issaquah School District
K
- Kahlotus School District
- Kalama School District
- Keller School District
- Kelso School District
- Kennewick School District
- Kent School District
- Kettle Falls School District
- Kiona-Benton City School District
- Kittitas School District
- Klickitat School District
L
- LaCenter School District
- LaConner School District
- LaCrosse School District
- Lake Chelan School District
- Lake Stevens School District
- Lake Washington School District
- Lakewood School District
- Lamont School District
- Liberty School District
- Lind School District
- Longview Public Schools
- Loon Lake School District
- Lopez School District
- Lyle School District
- Lynden School District
M
- Mabton School District
- Mansfield School District
- Manson School District
- Mary M. Knight School District
- Mary Walker School District
- Maryville School District
- McCleary School District
- Mead School District
- Medical Lake School District
- Mercer School District
- Meridian School District
- Methow Valley School District
- Mill A School District
- Monroe School District
- Montesano School District
- Morton School District
- Moses Lake School District
- Mossyrock School District
- Mount Adams School District
- Mount Baker School District
- Mount Pleasant School District
- Mount Vernon School District
- Mukilteo School District
N
- Naches School District
- Napavine School District
- Naselle-Grays River Valley School District
- Nespelem School District
- Newport School District
- Nine Mile Falls School District
- Nooksack Valley School District
- North Beach School District
- North Franklin School District
- North Kitsap School District
- North Mason School District
- North River School District
- North Thurston Public Schools
- Northport School District
- Northshore School District
O
- Oak Harbor School District
- Oakesdale School District
- Oakville School District
- Ocean Beach School District
- Ocosta School District
- Odessa School District
- Okanogan School District
- Olympia School District
- Omak School District
- Onalaska School District
- Onion Creek School District
- Orcas Island School District
- Orchard Prairie School District
- Orient School District
- Orondo School District
- Oroville School District
- Orting School District
- Othello School District
P
- Palisades School District
- Palouse School District
- Pasco School District
- Pateros School District
- Paterson School District
- Pe Ell School District
- Peninsula School District
- Pioneer School District
- Pomeroy School District
- Port Angeles School District
- Port Townsend School District
- Prescott School District
- Prosser School District
- Pullman School District
- Puyallup School District
Q
- Queets-Clearwater School District
- Quilcene School District
- Quillayute School District
- Quinault School District
- Quincy School District
R
- Rainier School District
- Raymond School District
- Reardan-Edwall School District
- Renton School District
- Republic School District
- Richland School District
- Ridgefield School District
- Ritzville School District
- Riverside School District
- Riverview School District
- Rochester School District
- Roosevelt School District
- Rosalia School District
- Royal School District
S
- San Juan Island School District
- Satsop School District
- Seattle School District
- Sadro-Woolley Schools
- Selah School District
- Selkirk School District
- Sequim School District
- Shaw School District
- Shelton School District
- Shoreline School District
- Skamania School District
- Skykomish School District
- Snohomish School District
- Snoqualmie Valley School District
- Soap Lake School District
- South Bend School District
- South Kitsap School District
- South Whidbey School District
- Southside School District
- Spokane School District
- Sprague School District
- Stanwood-Camano School District
- Star School District
- Starbuck School District
- Stehekin School District
- Steilacoom Historical School District
- Steptoe School District
- Stevenson-Carson School District
- Sultan School District
- Summit Valley School District
- Sumner School District
- Sunnyside School District
T
- Tacoma School District
- Taholah School District
- Tahoma School District
- Tekoa School District
- Tenino School District
- Thorp School District
- Toledo School District
- Tonasket School District
- Toppenish School District
- Touchet School District
- Toutle School District
- Trout School District
- Tukwila School District
- Tumwater School District
U
- Union Gap School District
- University Place School District
V
- Vader School District
- Valley School District
- Vancouver School District
- Vashon School District
W
- Wahkiakum School District
- Wahluke School District
- Waitsburg School District
- Walla Walla School District
- Wapato School District
- Warden School District
- Washougal School District
- Washtucna School District
- Waterville School District
- Wellpinit School District
- Wenatchee School District
- West Valley School District (Spokane)
- West Valley School District (Yakima)
- White Pass School District
- White River School District
- White Salmon Valley School District
- Wilbur School District
- Willapa School District
- Wilson Creek School District
- Winlock School District
- Wishkah Valley School District
- Wishram School District
- Woodland School District
Y
- Yakima School District
- Yelm School District
Z
- Zillah School District
It is critical to make certain academic misconduct charges at your child's Washington 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 Washington 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.
