NJ School Suspensions Mirror National Spike

School suspensions are designed to have a lasting impact on a student’s behavior. They’re a corrective tactic serving as a deterrent, but with enduring results. Is leaving a blemish on a student’s permanent record the answer to complex behavioral issues at school? What about the long-term impact of those negative comments on a student’s record? The LLF National Student Discipline Defense Team has successfully worked with parents seeking to protect their children—and their children’s records—from a punishment that could jeopardize their future.

Right now, Jersey City, New Jersey, is confronting student behavioral problems in ways that are attracting national attention. A recent increase in student suspensions has made headlines, leaving school boards and superintendents scrambling for answers.

A Spike in Cases

During the 2022-2023 school year, student suspensions in Jersey City increased 140%. Suspensions for fighting and disruptive behavior occurring outside of school, after school hours, increased more than two-fold. In one extreme example, a high school with just over 700 students saw 104 suspensions. The numbers are shocking.

These trends aren’t isolated to New Jersey. Coast to coast, and across socio-economic categories, school violence has increased since the Covid-19 pandemic. The cause is a combination of factors, including increasing mental health challenges among students, disruption at home, lack of peer-to-peer socialization, and the shortage of teachers and counselors.

Risk Factors

Understanding that this is a nationwide crisis, officials in Jersey City look beyond local explanations. They point to broader causes like social media and the general abuses teens participate in online: celebrating violence, enjoying the shock value of verbal and physical abuse. That behavior has a trickle-down effect as fads spread across popular platforms and even violent behavior becomes something to mimic in the hopes of landing in the spotlight. But that spotlight can highlight something the users may soon wish to forget.

Suspension’s Long-term Damage

A suspension can be seriously problematic for students, leaving a gap in a transcript that demands explanation. This can affect a student’s graduation possibilities as well as jeopardize the next steps on their path, whether that’s in high school or college. A mark on a student’s record can affect their next move, impacting college admissions possibilities or job or internship eligibility, closing doors and limiting their career opportunities.

It’s important to recognize that behavioral misconduct may be more difficult to overcome than academic misconduct such as cheating. Academic misconduct can sometimes be seen as a learning opportunity or be isolated to the academic institution where the infraction took place. But behavioral misconduct, including a Title IX violation or other conduct issues, may trigger punishments that are dictated and enforced by law.

LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team has advised many New Jersey residents whose children or family members have been suspended.

Call the LLF National Law Firm at (888) 535-3686 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.