High school students are only concerned with making friends, passing their classes, and getting into a good college. However, there are instances where a high school student's dreams of the future can be cut short by disciplinary actions imposed by their school. When this happens, it can prevent them from getting into college and pursuing the career of their choice.
Dealing with high school disciplinary actions can be overwhelming, especially for parents of multiple children or those working from home or outside the house. Suddenly, you are forced to take on another serious set of responsibilities while trying to juggle the ones you already have.
Unfortunately, when students are accused of hazing by their school, parents tend to follow whatever the school suggests and are not informed of their child's right to advice from a third party. In these cases, the children's defense is typically less than successful, forcing them to endure unnecessary and harsh punishments that could have been avoided with an attorney's help.
If your child has been accused of a hazing incident by their school, they need a strong defense. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team comprises experienced attorneys with years of student defense experience. Not only do they have the unique legal skills to support your family during this time, but they are also your child's best hope at creating a defense that guarantees the best possible outcome for their case. Call 888-535-3686 today or schedule a consultation online.
What is Hazing in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts legislature defines hazing as:
- any action or other way of joining a student organization
- that wilfully or recklessly endangers a student or another person's physical or mental health.
Examples of hazing in Massachusetts include:
- beatings, whippings, brandings, forced calisthenics, exposure to the weather,
- forced consumption of food, alcohol, beverage, drugs, or other substances,
- or any brutal treatment or forced physical activity that is likely to negatively affect the physical health or safety of a student or another person or that subjects them to extreme mental stress.
If a defendant is found guilty of hazing, they can be imprisoned for up to one year, fined for up to $3,000, or both.
Hazing in Massachusetts Schools
While some states require high schools to create anti-hazing policies, Massachusetts has no such obligation. However, most high schools, including public, private, and charter schools, have created disciplinary procedures surrounding allegations of hazing.
For instance, at Bancroft High School, a private high school in Worcester, Massachusetts, students are forbidden from participating in any kind of hazing activities. In fact, students are required to sign a copy of the hazing law prior to entering the Upper School.
Once an allegation of hazing is reported, the school will conduct an investigation. During the investigation, the accused student and the complainant will be interviewed, as well as any witnesses or people who have knowledge of the alleged incident.
After the investigation has concluded, the school will review the investigation and determine whether the accused student engaged in a hazing activity. If they believe the student did, they will also determine the appropriate disciplinary action for the student. Typically, a punishment for hazing will include a:
- suspension
- probation
- expulsion
Additionally, if a student is found guilty of hazing at Bancroft High School, they will be punished by the school, and an incident report will be sent to the Attorney General of the Commonwealth.
Similarly, public schools, like Sturgis Charter Public School, Lexington High School, and Westford Academy, have created anti-hazing policies based on the Anti-Hazing Law described above. If any student is caught participating in hazing by their school, their participation in such activities will be disciplined by the school and reported to the police.
Moreover, public and charter schools in Massachusetts will have similar punishments for hazing, including suspension and expulsion from the school. The specific time of suspension or expulsion will depend on the committee overseeing the disciplinary committee at your child's particular school.
It is important to note that while schools in Massachusetts have posted anti-hazing policies and corresponding disciplinary procedures, there are plenty of cases where students and parents were never notified of the allegations. In such instances, the students were not only robbed of a fundamental due process right but also punished without the chance to defend themselves.
If you believe your child's school has infringed on one of their due process rights or has punished them without notifying you, they must be held accountable. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team is committed to protecting students from unnecessary punishments, especially when their due process rights have been violated. Contact our offices today to protect your child's future.
The Appeals Process for Hazing in Massachusetts
Once a school has determined that a student committed an activity that falls within the hazing definition, they will notify the student of their decision. Typically, the steps for an appeal will be included in that notification. For example, at Needham High School, students have five calendar days from the effective date of their long-term suspension punishment to appeal the decision to the superintendent.
The superintendent then has three school days to hold a hearing for the appeal. During this appeal, the superintendent will conduct a hearing to decide whether the student committed an act of hazing and, if so, what the consequences will be. In some cases, the superintendent may determine that the student is responsible for hazing but decide that the sanction imposed should be altered or changed altogether. Whatever their decision is, it is final, and they must notify the student within five days.
Alternatively, at Shrewsbury Senior High School, the student appeals process seems very clearly outlined; however, the specific instructions for appeals change based on the type of activity the student is found responsible for and the type of punishment provided. When a student is convicted of a felony or found guilty in court of a felony and expelled from school, they have five calendar days to request an appeal, in writing, from the superintendent. However, when they are expelled for other conduct code violations, they have up to ten days to make this appeal.
As such, the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team understands that the appeals process can be overwhelming for any parent, especially when emotions are still running high from the committee's original decision. It is incredibly important to hire an attorney in these moments to ensure you are providing your child with every opportunity to defend their future.
Consequences for Hazing Disciplinary Actions
Students who are found responsible for hazing at their high schools in Massachusetts can face a host of punishments and disastrous, long-lasting consequences. For example, when a student is found hazing and punished with a loss of a privilege, like being kicked off the football team, it can affect their ability to pay for college. Students who have a harder time affording college without a sports scholarship may not be able to attend at all, forcing them to move from one menial job to the next, extinguishing their ability to provide for themselves or their families properly.
Students who are suspended or expelled from their high school for hazing will have an even harder time getting into college. Not only are suspension and expulsion punishments usually noted on a student's final transcripts, but all college applications also typically require students to inform the admissions committee if they have been disciplined by the school.
As such, the suspended or expelled student will have to explain to every admissions committee what happened and why they were punished in such a way. Most of these committees will see these types of punishments and choose not to admit the student for fear of them behaving that way while attending school.
The same is true for students who are expelled during high school and try to attend another high school to finish their education. It is unlikely they will be admitted to another high school because of their expulsion, and instead, they will be forced to either get their GED or attend an alternative education program, which is notorious for causing students even more mental and emotional distress.
Though a GED is similar to a high school diploma, they are still stigmatized by some college and university admissions committees. Thus, being forced to acquire a GED can negatively impact your students' chances of pursuing the dreams they have always had for their future.
Mental and Emotional Ramifications
Students who are disciplined for hazing by their schools are more than likely to undergo a significant mental health transformation. They may start to feel like the school or other students are the enemy become paranoid, and fearful. These types of experiences can be incredibly isolating, leaving even the most level-headed student feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed.
When this happens, their grades will suffer as well, or they may become more likely to commit another act of misconduct in the future. And for students who have been falsely accused and unfairly punished, these consequences can feel even worse, damaging their self-esteem, hopes for the future, and general well-being.
To ensure your child is not subjected to such a dangerous cycle of distressing emotions, disastrous consequences, and unnecessarily harsh punishments, you must reach out to a skilled attorney immediately. The Student Defense Team at Lento Law Firm is extremely experienced in defending students against the school's allegations of hazing. They will work tirelessly to gather evidence and witness testimony that supports their defense, ensuring your child's future remains intact.
Where Can the Lento Law Firm Help
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team has helped students throughout the United States and Massachusetts, including those in:
- Boston
- Worcester
- Springfield
- Cambridge
- Lowell
- Brockton
- Quincy
- Lynn
- New Bedford
- Fall River
- Lawrence
- Newton
- Somerville
- Framingham
- Haverhill
- Malden
- Waltham
- Brookline
- Revere
- Plymouth
- Medford
- Taunton
- Weymouth
- Chicopee
- Peabody
- Florida
- Savoy
- Plainfield
- Alford
- Milford
- South Attleboro
- North Attleboro
- Attleboro
- Plainridge
- Wrentham
- New Ashford
Whether your student has been accused of hazing by their public, private, or charter school, the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can help. Such schools include:
- MA Academy for Math & Science School
- Lexington High School
- Weston High School
- Boston Latin School
- Brookline High School
- Sharon High School
- Sturgis Charter Public School
- Advanced Math & Science Academy Charter School
- Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School
- Mystic Valley Regional Charter School
- Salem Academy Charter School
- Phillips Academy Andover
- Commonwealth School
- Groton School
- Noble and Greenough School
- Deerfield Academy
- St. Mark's School
- Milton Academy
- Buckingham Browne & Nichols School
- Bancroft School
- King Phillips High School
- Taunton High School
- Needham High School
How the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team Can Help
All school disciplinary matters necessitate the skills and competence of an experienced student defense attorney. Unfortunately, many families decide to defend their children on their own without an attorney's help. When they make this decision, they believe they are doing what is in the best interest of their child. Maybe they believe having an attorney by their side will make the school more hostile or punish their child more harshly. Or maybe they don't feel like bothering with an attorney. Whatever the case may be, parents who pursue a defense on their own are rarely successful, forcing children to suffer through unnecessary punishments.
The Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm knows how overwhelmed parents are. They have other jobs and other children to worry about, which makes showing up for their accused student a bit more complicated.
As such, the Student Defense Team is determined to ease that burden on you. They will begin by researching the case, searching for evidence and witness testimony on your child's behalf, and constructing a strategic defense to ensure these accusations are just a moment in your child's life, not their whole life. Call 888-535-3686 today or schedule a consultation online.
