The Impact of Off-Campus Actions on School Life in Georgia
Any kind of unapproved off-campus behavior can greatly impact your student's academic experience in their school. While it may seem unfair for the school to hold your student accountable for behavior that does not occur on their premises, it is not uncommon. For instance, sometimes students may post about something on social media that affects another student's experience at school. When the parents find out about it, they will likely request that the posting student be punished by the school for the behavior that caused their child pain.
When things like this happen, your child could be subjected to disciplinary actions like detention, suspensions, expulsion, or other academic penalties. The best thing you can do to protect your student's academic career is to hire an experienced student defense attorney. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team understands how overwhelming these accusations can be and will work diligently to ensure you and your child are aware of the situation, possible consequences, and all of the steps the attorney is prepared to take to defend them. Call 888-535-3686 today for help, or tell us about your case online.
Navigating Off-Campus Misconduct and School Responses in Georgia Schools
Many kids get into trouble while outside of school and don't face punishment by the school. However, there are certain kinds of behaviors that are more likely to force the school to respond by disciplining your child.
Misconduct unrelated to school:
Students may engage in activities that have no connection to their school, making them think they cannot get in trouble with their school for it. These activities might include stealing cars, damaging property, stealing property, or breaking and entering. For instance, in the Atlanta Public School district, students who engage in any off-campus activity that might result in a felony charge and that makes their continued presence at school a potential danger to the school body and its property can be further adjudicated by the school. In cases like this, the student would receive anywhere from 4 to 10 days of out-of-school suspension and could be referred to a disciplinary hearing for a longer suspension or expulsion.
Misconduct tangentially related to school policies:
Activities that fall within this category might include offensive behavior – like social media posts, public speeches, or other types of off-campus communications that mock a marginalized group. While these types of actions might not have anything to do with your life in school, the school may still try to discipline you for it.
For example, at Carroll County Schools, students who are caught threatening or intimidating another student, whether they did it on campus or off, can be penalized. Generally, these punishments will range from a warning to a short-term suspension (for elementary students) or a recommendation for suspension or expulsion (for middle school students).
Misconduct that directly involves the school, a school staff member, another student, or the school community:
When students engage in activity that takes place off campus but directly involves someone from the school, the school's community, or the school itself, your student can be punished. A common example of this type of behavior is when students make inflammatory remarks about the school, teachers, staff, or other students on social media or through emails.
If students at City Schools of Decatur are accused of cyberbullying online – even if they do so from the comfort of their own homes – the school administrators have every right to conduct a disciplinary review of the issue. Students who are found responsible for the accused behavior might be suspended or expelled.
As you can see, there are several scenarios where schools will feel the need to discipline students for activities that occur off-campus. Many times, these proceedings are unnecessary and have harsh ramifications for the student's entire life. If your student is accused of a disciplinary issue in a Georgia school, Lento Law Firm can help.
Decoding Adjudication Approaches in Georgia Schools
It is important to recognize that the response to off-campus misconduct differs from school to school. However, the districts are in agreement that if the conduct is considered a felony, and the student's presence at school might be a danger to the rest of the students and staff, they will discipline the student accordingly.
If your student is punished for their off-campus behavior, the disciplinary response will vary greatly. Here are a few examples of how schools across Georgia might respond to your student's off-campus misconduct:
- If your student is accused of misconduct that is completely unrelated to the school, the school might try to “rehabilitate” your student from an educational perspective. For instance, in the Coweta County School district, students who are accused of such behavior could be required to go through counseling or other types of training. In fact, most schools in Georgia are required to implement a restorative justice program. Restorative justice is a victim-centered method that helps the accused student and the harmed student communicate and take responsibility for their actions. The goal is to positively impact both students and help them avoid such actions in the future.
- If your student is accused of conduct that is only tangentially related to the school, they have the authority to sanction the student. For example, if the student's school learns of cyberbullying another student, the school may recommend the removal of the student to an alternative education program. The hope is that removing the accused student will allow the school environment to reset for the rest of the community.
- If your student's off-campus behavior directly involves the school or its community, the school is likely going to try to punish them. For instance, if your child gets into a verbal fight with another student in the hallway outside their classroom, the school administrators will determine if the student should be suspended for a short period of time or longer or if they should be expelled instead.
Of course, all of these outcomes are dependent on the severity of the behavior to begin with and how it has impacted the school. To ensure your child is not punished without cause, it is imperative you reach out to an attorney immediately. Your attorney will help you identify whether the alleged behavior falls within one of the categories and how to mitigate the issue with the school when it does. They will also help you encourage school officials to drop the issue if the conduct does not fall within these categories. Their insight and expertise are essential when dealing with off-campus misconduct issues.
How Misconduct Can Impact Your School Life in Georgia
When you are disciplined by your school, your first thought might be to brush it off as inconsequential. But the reality is that every disciplinary issue could have a huge impact on your life at school and in the future. For instance, some of the immediate impacts of school disciplinary actions will come about quickly after the school is notified of an off-campus incident. This is especially true if the issue surrounds bullying, drugs, or sexual assault and your school has zero-tolerance policies (as most do).
Short-term impacts of being disciplined by your school can be felt within a few weeks or months after the incident. For example, if you are suspended for more than ten days for your actions and return to school on exam day, you might find it exceptionally hard to pass the exam. Moreover, you will have to make up all of the missed tests, assignments, or coursework from the days you were away. This can make it hard to keep up with your classes and cause further behavioral and emotional issues.
Long-term consequences, on the other hand, will continue to pop up throughout the rest of the school year, if not your life. When you go to apply to college, you will have to explain the incident and punishment on your application. Behavior misconduct or disciplinary action can be a huge deterrent for colleges and universities looking to fill their freshman year. Additionally, if you were to get in, the school may decide to keep a “short leash” on you – keeping you from joining Greek life, preventing you from living on campus, or forcing you to only take certain classes at certain times. And if you get into disciplinary issues in college, the school might be keen to use your prior behavior to prove your guilt.
High school disciplinary issues, even if the incident occurred off campus, can have long-lasting ramifications on every aspect of your life. It could affect your ability to qualify for scholarships, apply for government jobs, or be taken seriously by your peers.
No matter what kind of accusation the school has made against your child, it is crucial to hire a skilled student defense attorney. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team has years of experience helping students navigate disciplinary matters. They will leverage this extensive knowledge to mitigate any unnecessary punishment you might be subjected to.
Guiding Your Child Through School Disciplinary Proceedings in Georgia
Most parents expect their child's school to provide their child with a fair and easy disciplinary experience. So, they go into these proceedings hoping for the best and maybe not preparing well enough. Unfortunately, when that happens, their child is punished in the process.
The reality is that disciplinary procedures for K-12 students in Georgia can be exhausting, stressful, and full of relentless paperwork and questioning. To overcome such stress and anxiety, the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team will help you:
- Review both the school and school district's policies and procedures surrounding disciplinary matters. Every school has different policies and procedures that cover off-campus misconduct. To ensure you have a strong defense in place prior to the meetings, it is important to be familiar with the necessary policies.
- Gather documents, evidence, and witness testimony to help solidify your child's defense.
- Investigate the matter on your child's behalf.
- Open a direct line of communication with school and school district officials to help facilitate negotiations early on, prior to any meetings or conferences.
In addition to all of this, Lento Law Firm will also provide advice, representation, and counsel throughout the disciplinary procedures, including filing appeals if necessary.
The Lento Law Firm is Ready to Help You Take Proactive Steps to Protect Your Child's Future
School disciplinary proceedings can be difficult to navigate, especially when the school starts to schedule the initial conferences and fails to notify you of your right to an attorney's help prior to the meetings. If you show up on your own, without counsel, the school may try to steamroll you into doing what they want rather than what is in the best interest of your child – or even what is specified in their procedures.
Thus, it is imperative you show up to school disciplinary proceedings well-prepared and with representation. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team's fighting attitude and comprehensive understanding of student defense will ensure your child's future is protected. Furthermore, with our help, you will enter and leave every meeting feeling protected, informed, and empowered.
Whether your child attends a school in the Floyd County School District, Barrow County School District, Dougherty County School District, or the Twigs County School District, our attorneys can help. Call 888-535-3686 today or schedule a consultation online. You do not – and should not – have to navigate these proceedings alone.
